I-751 processing time

What the data says today

Sources: USCIS, All Forms by Quarter, FY2026 Q3 for the median, received and decided; USCIS monthly report to Congress, August 2026 for the average and the pending counts. The 74.4% is our calculation. A median and an average measure different things over different periods, so do not subtract one from the other.

Of the 10,994 decisions in April to June 2026, 10,368 were approvals and 626 were denials, a denial share of 5.7% (our calculation: denials divided by decisions). In the same quarter USCIS received 51,225 petitions, about 4.7 for every one it decided (our calculation). The quarterly report counted 339,830 pending, and the August monthly report counted 360,671. In August 2026 alone, USCIS received 14,018 I-751s and decided 4,517: 3,534 approvals and 983 denials (our sum).

The median covers petitions USCIS finished in the quarter, so cases still waiting are not in it. For the time USCIS shows for your service center, use its processing times page. It sits behind a security check, so we link it instead of copying it.

Your status while you wait

With a wait near two years, the receipt notice matters more than the card. Per the USCIS removing conditions page:

• 48 months. The receipt notice of a properly filed I-751 extends your conditional permanent resident status, including work authorization, for 48 months beyond the expiration date on your card.
• Keep the receipt notice. It is the document that carries the extension, so keep it with your card.
• After 48 months. If the case is still pending, USCIS says to call the Contact Center at 800-375-5283 to get evidence of your status. The extension runs well past the 22.6-month median, so this applies to the slowest cases.
• For an employer. USCIS lists what a worker can show on its Form I-9 acceptable documents page.
• Replacing the card. USCIS says a conditional resident generally cannot file Form I-90, with some exceptions. For that form and its current wait (median 5.5 months, April to June 2026), see I-90 processing time.

To follow the card online, see green card status.

When and how to file

You have conditional residence if you had been married for less than two years on the day you got permanent residence. Your card is then valid for two years. The rules, per USCIS:

1. Joint filing. You and your spouse file together in the 90 days before the card expires. USCIS has a when-to-file calculator for the date.
2. Late filing. A late joint petition must explain why it is late.
3. Waiver. If you cannot file with your spouse, you ask USCIS to waive the joint filing requirement. USCIS lists the grounds: the spouse died, the marriage ended in divorce or annulment, you or your child were battered or subjected to extreme cruelty, or losing your status and being removed would cause extreme hardship. In the first three, the marriage must have been entered in good faith. You can ask before or after the 90-day window, until a final removal order is issued.
4. No filing. If no I-751 is properly filed in the 90-day window, conditional status ends automatically, and USCIS sends a notice and a Notice to Appear.

You can file online or by mail (I-751 page, edition 04/01/24; filing addresses). USCIS last reviewed the I-751 page on June 16, 2026, so check it before you file in case fees or addresses change. Fees on the current G-1055 (edition 10/26/26):

If your green card came through a fiancé visa, see K-1 visa processing time for the steps before this one, and I-485 processing time for the adjustment step, where family-based I-485s had a median of 7 months in April to June 2026.

Interview and decision

USCIS says you may need to attend an interview. If so, it mails you an appointment notice. The USCIS pages we read do not say how cases are picked for an interview. If USCIS schedules fingerprints first, see our biometrics appointment page.

If USCIS denies the petition, it sends a decision letter. You may also get a Notice to Appear, and in removal proceedings the immigration judge can review the I-751 denial.

If your I-751 passes the posted time

With a median near two years, many I-751s look stuck when they are not. The only yardstick that counts for an inquiry is the I-751 range USCIS posts for your service center on its processing times page. Once your receipt date falls outside it:

1. Ask about the case with an e-Request, or by calling the USCIS Contact Center. The Contact Center is also the route for evidence of status once the 48 months run out.
2. Ask for an expedite only if you meet a USCIS criterion, such as severe financial loss, an emergency or a clear USCIS error; the decision is at its discretion (expedite requests).
3. Keep your address current, since the interview notice and the new card come by mail (change of address).

The YourCaseStatus app (coming soon) will alert you when your status changes. Until then, our status index explains each message USCIS shows, and the processing times hub compares the I-751 with other forms.

Official links

• USCIS Form I-751
• Removing conditions on permanent residence
• When to file your I-751
• I-751 filing addresses
• Check your case status
• USCIS processing times