I-140 processing time

What the data says today

USCIS publishes one I-140 line in its quarterly report. It does not split it by EB-1, EB-2 or EB-3, or by premium and regular processing.

Source: USCIS, All Forms by Quarter, FY2026 Q3. Of the 45,044 decisions, 37,975 were approvals and 7,069 were denials. That is a denial share of 15.7% (our calculation: denials divided by decisions). The median covers cases USCIS finished in the quarter, so cases still waiting are not in it.

The monthly report to Congress for August 2026 has no I-140 line, so there is no recent average to compare. Because premium cases count in the same median, a regular case can take longer than 3.9 months. For the time USCIS shows for your category and service center, use its processing times page. It sits behind a security check, so we link it and do not copy it.

Premium processing for the I-140

Premium processing is a paid promise that USCIS will act on the petition within a set number of business days. “Act” means an approval, a denial, a request for evidence (RFE), a notice of intent to deny, or opening a fraud investigation. It does not promise an approval.

Source: USCIS premium processing page, checked Nov. 4, 2026. For E31 and E32, USCIS adds “if designated as available”.

How the clock works, per that page:

• It starts when USCIS receives a properly completed Form I-907 at the correct address.
• An RFE or a notice of intent to deny stops and resets it. A new period starts when USCIS receives your response.
• Only the petitioner, or a self-petitioner, can request it. The beneficiary can pay the fee but cannot sign or file the I-907.
• If you file the I-140 and the I-907 together, you must file by mail (I-140 page).

The fees on the current G-1055 fee schedule (edition 10/26/26):

Your priority date and the Visa Bulletin

An approved I-140 does not make you a permanent resident. It puts you in line, and your place in line is the priority date (USCIS visa availability):

• With a PERM labor certification: the date DOL accepted it for processing. See PERM processing time.
• Without one (for example E11 or NIW): the date USCIS accepted the I-140.

USCIS prints the priority date on the I-797 notice. Each month the State Department’s Visa Bulletin lists cut-off dates by category and country. It has two charts: Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing. USCIS says each month which one applies to I-485 filings. For November 2026, its filing charts page says all employment-based categories must use the Dates for Filing chart (checked Nov. 4, 2026). A “C” means current. A “U” means no visas are available. Dates can also move back.

USCIS says employment-based visas are limited to 140,000 a year, with per-country limits. That is why two people with the same approved I-140 can wait very different times.

After approval: I-485 or the NVC

• Inside the U.S. You file Form I-485, together with the I-140 if a visa number is available, or later when your date is reached (concurrent filing). Employment-based I-485s had a median of 6 months in April to June 2026, and an average of 11.8 months in August 2026 (I-485 processing time). An average and a median measure different things over different periods, so do not subtract one from the other.
• Outside the U.S. The approved petition goes to the State Department’s National Visa Center, then to a consulate interview. See NVC processing time.

To follow the case online, see green card status. Before the I-140, you can track the labor certification on PERM case status. DOL’s PERM analyst review averaged 300 calendar days over the last 30 days, as of Oct. 31, 2026 (DOL FLAG). After certification, the I-140 must reach USCIS within 180 days, or USCIS rejects it.

If your case is outside normal processing time

The petitioner makes the inquiry: the employer or its attorney, or the self-petitioner. If the receipt date is past the I-140 time on the processing times page, they can use e-Request or the Contact Center. Two points apply only to this form:

• Already premium. For a case with an I-907, USCIS gives 866-315-5718 for the service center. Have the receipt number ready.
• Expedite or premium. For classifications that can use premium processing, USCIS says discretionary expedite requests are generally not available, except for nonprofit petitioners (premium processing page, expedite requests).

You can read what each message in your online case status means in our status index. The YourCaseStatus app (coming soon) will alert you when your status changes. For every form, see the processing times hub.

Official links

• USCIS Form I-140
• Premium processing (Form I-907)
• I-140 filing addresses
• Check your case status
• USCIS processing times
• Visa Bulletin, State Department