The United States immigration system is facing renewed strain as the latest data from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reveals a sharp slowdown in case processing and a historic spike in backlogs during the second quarter of fiscal year 2025 (January–March). This is the first major performance update from the agency since the new administration took office, and the numbers paint a troubling picture for applicants across various immigration categories.
USCIS completed just 2.7 million immigration cases in Q2 FY2025, an 18% drop from the same quarter last year and a 12% decline from the previous quarter. The reduced throughput has coincided with a surge in pending cases, which jumped by 1.6 million during the quarter. The total number of pending applications now stands at a record-breaking 11.3 million, the highest level in over a decade. Adding to the agency’s workload, more than 34,000 new cases remained unopened at the end of Q2. This marks the first time since FY2024 that USCIS reported a non-zero “frontlog,” cases received but not yet entered into the system.
Processing times skyrocket for key visa categories
The delays have rippled across several critical immigration forms. Processing times for Form I-129, commonly used for employment-based temporary visas such as H-1B and L-1, increased by 25% quarter-over-quarter and by more than 80% compared to the same period last year. Even more concerning was the delay in Form I-90 applications, which are filed to replace lost or expired green cards. Processing time for these applications surged by an astonishing 938%, ballooning from less than a month to over eight months within a single quarter.
Form I-765, used for employment authorization documents (EADs), also saw significant delays. Initial work permit applications pending at the end of Q2 jumped by 87% from the previous quarter. The total number of pending I-765 applications,including renewals and replacements, climbed from under 1.2 million to over 2 million, a 79% increase. The net backlog in this category, cases delayed beyond reasonable timelines, nearly tripled, rising by 181%. One area that saw marginal improvement was the I-129 net backlog, which declined by nearly 75% compared to Q1 FY2025. However, the number of active recipients under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program continued its downward trend, falling by over 8,000 during the quarter.