How long is my form taking?
USCIS publishes a range per form and per office. Both matter — the same form can differ by months depending on where it is being handled.
Forms decided centrally, at the National Benefits Center or Service Center Operations. Here the category of work is what changes the answer, not the office.
I-129 — Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker
4.5 to 7 months
E3 - Specialty occupation workers from Australia
Estimated median
3.6 months
The published range is the slow tail, not the middle: USCIS's low figure is where about 80% of cases have finished and the high figure about 93%. So half of cases finish sooner than 3.6 months — three in four by 4.4, nine in ten by 6.8. An estimate from those two published anchors, not a figure USCIS publishes.
E3 - Specialty occupation workers from Australia
4.5–7 mo
Median about 3.6 mo · 75% by 4.4 mo · 90% by 6.8 mo
TN - United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA, formerly NAFTA) professional
4.5–7 mo
Median about 3.6 mo · 75% by 4.4 mo · 90% by 6.8 mo
H-2B - Temporary nonagricultural workers
5.5–8.5 mo
Median about 4.5 mo · 75% by 5.4 mo · 90% by 8.2 mo
Intracompany transferees and blanket L
7–10.5 mo
Median about 5.8 mo · 75% by 6.8 mo · 90% by 10.2 mo
H-2A - Temporary agricultural workers - Named Beneficiary
15–4 mo
Median about 18.9 mo · 75% by 15.6 mo · 90% by 5.1 mo
H-2A - Temporary agricultural workers - Unnamed Beneficiary
15–4 mo
Median about 18.9 mo · 75% by 15.6 mo · 90% by 5.1 mo
Across 15 categories
- Fastest
- E3 - Specialty occupation workers from Australia4.5–7 mo
- Slowest
- Q - Cultural exchange visitors19.5–33 mo (1.6–2.8 yrs)
Ranges are as published by USCIS: the low figure is where about 80% of cases have finished and the high figure about 93%. Confirm on Check on USCIS's processing times page.