Key Highlights
The US immigration system is currently in the worst position ever, as the number of pending cases awaiting consideration by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has hit a record high of 11.3 million. Such increases in unprocessed applications cut across green cards, work permits, family and employment-based visas, and asylum claims. Millions of immigrants, families, and employers are left in uncertainty about the future due to the growing delays, and the question of what the future of legal immigration looks like in America is urgent.
The Backlog Scale
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As of Q2 2025, a total of 11.3 million backlogged immigration cases will be the highest in the history of the USCIS.
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More than 34,000 of the applications have not been opened, remain in mailrooms, and have not been implemented into the system in the form of a digital workflow.
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The number of cases processed in Q2 2025 is much lower than before at 2.7 million cases.
Also Read: US Introduces New $250 Visa Integrity Fee for Nonimmigrant Visas
Categories Affected
The backlog consists of:
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Form I-485—green card applications
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Requests to get work permits (Form I-765)
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Form I-90 (Green card renewals)
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Form I-129 Petition for nonimmigrant worker (employment-based Visa)
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Travel papers (Form I-131)
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Asylum claims and refugee claims
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The visa applications that are family sponsored
Why Is the Backlog So High?
Here are the key causes of the backlog:
|
Cause |
Description |
|
Understaffing & Underfunding |
USCIS relies on application fees for funding. Staffing has not kept pace with rising demand. |
|
Legacy Policy Changes |
Trump-era policies introduced stricter fraud checks and paused many categories, slowing processing. |
|
Suspension of Automation |
The Streamlined Case Processing program, which sped up low-risk cases, has been suspended. |
|
Surge in Applications |
Pent-up demand post-COVID, especially for family and employment-based immigration. |
|
Per-Country Visa Caps |
US law limits green cards to 7% per country per category, hitting high-demand countries like India and China hardest. |
Policy and Administrative Factors
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Many restrictions on refugees and asylees, introduced during previous administrations, remain in force in 2025, further slowing processing for these groups.
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Some immigration attorneys argue that the backlog is as much a result of policy choices as it is of resource limitations.
Also Read: Canada’s New PR Pathway for Refugees & Displaced Talent
Impact on Applicants
The impact on applicants is summarised. below:
Delays and Uncertainty
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The processing time for processing green cards has increased dramatically, with green card renewal rising to over eight months (Form I-90), a 938% increase as compared to that of the last quarter.
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Delays of work permits (I-765) have also doubled since the last quarter, and there are more than 2 million cases under process.
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Indians and Chinese seeking employment-based green cards wait decades because of per-country quotas.
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Applicants who are sponsored by their families can wait more than 10 years in other preference categories.
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Asylees and refugees are lumped in asylum and slowed down or held completely because of policies being frozen and closed down.
Economic and Social impacts
Limited processing of work visas and green cards results in business talent shortages and project delays.
Families are separated over years, and it takes a long time before they can be reunited.
The insecurity also aggravates how the applicants are capable of working, travelling, and planning their future.
Breakdown by Application Type
|
Application Type |
Median Processing Time (2025) |
Notes |
|
Green Card Renewal (I-90) |
8+ months |
Up from less than 1 month in late 2024 |
|
Work Permit (I-765) |
6–8 months |
Over 2 million pending cases |
|
Employment Visa (I-129) |
3–6 months |
Processing time up 25% from last quarter |
|
Family-Based Green Card |
12–24 months |
Some categories face decade-long waits due to quotas |
|
Asylum/Refugee |
Years |
Many cases paused or severely delayed |
|
Travel Document (I-131) |
3–4 months |
Some improvement, but 260,000+ cases still pending |
Who Is Hit Hardest?
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Indian and Chinese individuals that get offered employment-based green cards
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High-demand, family-sponsored immigrants
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Abolish the H-1B and the H-4 visas that have no definite routes to permanent residency
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Refugees and asylees whose processing has been stayed or slowed The aftermath The aftermath The aftermath
Also Read: US Immigration Crackdown: Economic Contradictions and Industry Impact
What Can Aspire to Do?
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Determine the status of the case online in the USCIS portal.
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Immigration lawyers are recommended to give current instructions and legal solutions.
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In case of delays, be prepared by having the documentation and be legal.
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Be up to date on any policy change and interim relief provisions.
The Outlook of Reform
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The USCIS has established internal cycle time targets (e.g. 6 months for green cards and 3 months for work permits), but these objectives are not achieved because of resource and policy limitations.
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Representatives still demand more funding, modernisation, and reforms of the law, although no significant solutions have as yet come into effect as of the middle of 2025.
Conclusion
The impasse that US immigration is experiencing is in a critical situation because 11.3 million cases are pending, and the delay is compounding in almost all categories. The policies have varying capacities, the demand and resources are overwhelming, and it has led to a pressure point to millions of citizens, families, and companies. The system may collapse without serious reforms and investment, and the applicants will continue languishing in uncertainty and silence due to the fact that America is no longer the wanted land of global talent and opportunity.
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