USCIS

USCIS

USCIS Backlog Grows Even as Agency Gets Fewer Filings

USCIS Backlog Grows Even as Agency Gets Fewer Filings

New government filings reveal a continued — and in some areas accelerating — deterioration in processing at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).  The latest data from the American Immigration Council’s USCIS Immigration Filing Trends Dashboard show that the agency’s backlog of immigration petitions and applications worsened… Read More

Two professionals reviewing information on a computer in an office environment, representing high-skilled workers who rely on employment-based nonimmigrant visa programs such as H-1B, L-1, and O visas.

High-Skilled Nonimmigrant Petitions: USCIS Filing and Processing Trends, FY2016 – FY2025

USCIS processing delays, growing backlogs, and shifting approval trends are creating new challenges for employers and high-skilled workers seeking H-1B, L-1, and O visas. Read More

A researcher works in a laboratory, reflecting the skilled immigrants affected by growing employment-based green card backlogs and USCIS processing delays.

From Petition to Permanent Residence: A Decade of USCIS Filing, Processing, and Backlog Trends

New analysis of USCIS data finds record I-140 backlogs, rising denial rates, growing visa wait times, and longer processing delays across the employment-based green card system. Read More

USCIS Filing Trends: New Data Shows Immigration Processing Falling Further Behind

USCIS Filing Trends: New Data Shows Immigration Processing Falling Further Behind

Processing at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has continued to slow, the latest data from the American Immigration Council’s USCIS Immigration Filing Trends Dashboard shows. The updated data for fiscal year 2026 shows a broad slowdown in immigration processing, with fewer applications being processed, persistently large… Read More

New USCIS Asylum Interview Rule Could Speed Up Deportations of Asylum Seekers

New USCIS Asylum Interview Rule Could Speed Up Deportations of Asylum Seekers

The Trump administration has taken another significant step toward restricting access to asylum in the United States. At the same time, it has moved to end protections such as Temporary Protected Status (TPS), increasing the risk that many will be deported to countries where they may face persecution. Read More

What Trump’s New Public Charge Rule Means for Immigrants

What Trump’s New Public Charge Rule Means for Immigrants

The Trump administration finalized a new rule on July 17 changing the federal government’s policy on how immigration officials determine when someone is likely to be a “public charge.” Federal immigration law says that someone applying for an immigration benefit — such as a green card — can… Read More

If USCIS Is Drowning in Paperwork, Why Is It Asking for More?

If USCIS Is Drowning in Paperwork, Why Is It Asking for More?

Why does U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services keep insisting on making more work for itself? This is mostly a rhetorical question. The Trump administration almost certainly doesn’t mind.  Last week, the administration unveiled the third in its trio of new regulations to make work permits harder to… Read More

New USCIS Memo May Force More Green Card Applicants to Apply from Abroad, Causing Chaos and Confusion

New USCIS Memo May Force More Green Card Applicants to Apply from Abroad, Causing Chaos and Confusion

Update: The text and headline of this post were updated on June 1, 2026, to reflect recent statements made by USCIS. On May 21, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy memorandum (PM-602-0199) concerning green card applications filed within the United States. While the Trump… Read More

New Dashboard Reveals Insights Into USCIS Backlogs and Processing Trends

New Dashboard Reveals Insights Into USCIS Backlogs and Processing Trends

The U.S. immigration system is broken — it’s a phrase heard often in discussions about the state of immigration in the U.S. Now, a new interactive dashboard from the American Immigration Council allows anyone with an internet connection to better understand our dysfunctional system of legal immigration.  … Read More

E‑Verify: Widening Use, Lingering Challenges

E‑Verify: Widening Use, Lingering Challenges

Electronic employment verification is a central feature of modern immigration compliance in the United States. At the heart of this system is E-Verify, an online federal system that allows employers to confirm whether newly hired employees are authorized to work in the country. E-Verify, which Congress… Read More

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