U.S. Processing Times

Note: Government agency processing times are extremely difficult to predict as they depend on the number of applications that are received at a particular time. Changes in the law, budget cuts, personnel shifts, etc. can result in a dramatic surge in the number of cases being handled, which can result in processing delays and backlogs. Conversely, agencies may experience reductions in filings or may receive funding to hire additional staff, resulting in shorter processing times. Simply because the agency is currently processing cases that were filed prior to a certain date does not necessarily mean that the agency's adjudication times will remain constant in the future. The processing times in these reports should be viewed as guidelines only and should not be considered to be a reliable indicator of the processing time for any particular case.