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I-129 processing time

Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker — the H-1B, L-1, O-1 and other worker petitions, filed by employers for temporary workers. Official USCIS figures, updated when USCIS publishes new reports.

9.5 months is the latest median I-129 processing time (Apr–Jun 2026). That is +6.8 months compared with Apr–Jun 2025. 192,712 cases were pending.
Median time
9.5 mo
Apr–Jun 2026
A year earlier
2.7 mo
Apr–Jun 2025
Pending cases
192,712
end of quarter, all types
Completed
183,308
received 220,566 in the quarter

I-129 median processing time since 2021

I-129 median processing time by quarter 0 mo2 mo4 mo6 mo8 mo10 mo FY22 Q1FY22 Q4FY23 Q3FY24 Q2FY25 Q1FY25 Q4FY26 Q3 All · FY22 Q1: 2.6 moAll · FY22 Q2: 3.4 moAll · FY22 Q3: 2.2 moAll · FY22 Q4: 2.6 moAll · FY23 Q1: 3.9 moAll · FY23 Q2: 2.2 moAll · FY23 Q3: 1.9 moAll · FY23 Q4: 2.1 moAll · FY24 Q1: 2.7 moAll · FY24 Q2: 2.4 moAll · FY24 Q3: 2.4 moAll · FY24 Q4: 2.3 moAll · FY25 Q1: 3.5 moAll · FY25 Q2: 4.4 moAll · FY25 Q3: 2.7 moAll · FY25 Q4: 3.6 moAll · FY26 Q1: 4.5 moAll · FY26 Q2: 7.1 moAll · FY26 Q3: 9.5 mo 9.5 mo
Median months from receipt to completion for cases completed in each fiscal quarter. Source: USCIS quarterly all-forms report.

Pending I-129 cases

Pending I-129 cases by quarter 050K100K150K200K FY22 Q1FY22 Q4FY23 Q3FY24 Q2FY25 Q1FY25 Q4FY26 Q3 All · FY22 Q1: 89,068All · FY22 Q2: 61,020All · FY22 Q3: 100,571All · FY22 Q4: 100,296All · FY23 Q1: 64,605All · FY23 Q2: 54,748All · FY23 Q3: 91,729All · FY23 Q4: 80,404All · FY24 Q1: 69,866All · FY24 Q2: 56,871All · FY24 Q3: 117,448All · FY24 Q4: 99,966All · FY25 Q1: 89,852All · FY25 Q2: 63,452All · FY25 Q3: 154,684All · FY25 Q4: 150,876All · FY26 Q1: 129,909All · FY26 Q2: 120,477All · FY26 Q3: 192,712 192.7K
Cases awaiting a decision at the end of each fiscal quarter.

I-129 quarterly figures

QuarterMedianReceivedCompletedPending
Apr–Jun 20269.5 mo220,566183,308192,712
Jan–Mar 20267.1 mo130,202149,730120,477
Oct–Dec 20254.5 mo96,769135,127129,909
Jul–Sep 20253.6 mo140,984169,624150,876
Apr–Jun 20252.7 mo242,593172,772154,684
Jan–Mar 20254.4 mo131,375171,06063,452
Oct–Dec 20243.5 mo122,514148,42389,852
Jul–Sep 20242.3 mo142,999179,70499,966
Apr–Jun 20242.4 mo205,338160,043117,448
Jan–Mar 20242.4 mo123,587151,26756,871
Oct–Dec 20232.7 mo113,939133,31969,866
Jul–Sep 20232.1 mo144,834170,24480,404

Frequently asked questions

How long does I-129 take in 2026?

In Apr–Jun 2026, USCIS completed half of all I-129 cases within 9.5 months of filing (median, USCIS quarterly report). Your own case can take longer: half of all cases take longer than the median.

Is I-129 processing getting faster or slower?

Slower: the median was 2.7 months in Apr–Jun 2025 and 9.5 months in Apr–Jun 2026. The longest median since FY2022 was 9.5 months in Apr–Jun 2026.

How many I-129 cases are pending?

192,712 I-129 cases were pending at the end of Apr–Jun 2026. USCIS received 220,566 and completed 183,308 cases in that quarter.

Why is this different from the time on the USCIS website?

The USCIS Check Case Processing Times tool shows how long it took to complete 80% of cases at a specific office over the past six months, so it is usually longer than the median shown here. Use the USCIS tool for case inquiries; use the history here to see the trend.

Related processing times

I-539 processing time
5.7 mo
visa extension or change of status
I-140 processing time
3.9 mo
employment-based immigrant petition
All USCIS forms
Compare 29 forms side by side
Sources.

Figures are copied from the official files without changes; derived numbers (changes, backlog estimates) are explained on the methodology page. Not legal advice.