I-140 — Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker
Premium Processing AvailableemploymentFiling fee: $715
Median wait (p50)
3.4 months
Range: 3.4–3.4 months
Fastest subtype
3.4 months
General
Slowest subtype
3.4 months
General
Year-over-year
4.1 mo-4.1 mo
vs. Mar 26 last year
What is I-140?
Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, is the employer-sponsored petition to classify a foreign national for an employment-based immigrant visa. It is the employment equivalent of the family-based I-130. The employer must demonstrate that the position requires a worker with specific qualifications and that the foreign national meets those requirements.
Who files this form?
- U.S. employers sponsoring EB-2 and EB-3 workers (requires PERM labor certification)
- U.S. employers or individuals petitioning for EB-1A (extraordinary ability) classification
- U.S. employers petitioning for EB-1B (outstanding researchers) or EB-1C (multinational managers)
- Self-petitioners under the EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW)
Typical processing time today
Standard processing currently averages about 6–9 months. Premium processing (15 calendar days) is available for all I-140 categories and is widely used by employers to expedite the process.
I-140 Historical Processing Trend
Quarterly median processing time over the available data period
Median Processing Time Trend
8 quarterly data points
| Month | I-140 Median |
|---|---|
| December 2023 | 6.3 months |
| June 2024 | 6.8 months |
| September 2024 | 7.8 months |
| December 2024 | 7.6 months |
| March 2025 | 7.5 months |
| June 2025 | 11.2 months |
| September 2025 | 6.4 months |
| March 2026 | 3.4 months |
Year-over-Year Comparison
Overlay processing times by calendar year to reveal seasonal patterns
I-140 Processing Times by Year
Each line represents one calendar year
| Month | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | — | — | — | — |
| Feb | — | — | — | — |
| Mar | — | — | 7.5 months | 3.4 months |
| Apr | — | — | — | — |
| May | — | — | — | — |
| Jun | — | 6.8 months | 11.2 months | — |
| Jul | — | — | — | — |
| Aug | — | — | — | — |
| Sep | — | 7.8 months | 6.4 months | — |
| Oct | — | — | — | — |
| Nov | — | — | — | — |
| Dec | 6.3 months | 7.6 months | — | — |
I-140 Volume & Approval Rate
Quarterly case volumes and disposition breakdown
Quarterly Volume Trend
Receipts, approvals, denials, and pending cases
| Month | Receipts | Approvals | Denials | Pending |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2023 | 54,596 | 40,033 | 3,631 | 69,978 |
| June 2024 | 59,356 | 40,142 | 5,050 | 94,241 |
| September 2024 | 57,144 | 38,388 | 5,951 | 108,043 |
| December 2024 | 57,827 | 33,105 | 4,396 | 132,938 |
| March 2025 | 57,947 | 36,476 | 4,926 | 150,112 |
| June 2025 | 62,186 | 34,794 | 6,864 | 170,699 |
| September 2025 | 66,692 | 48,882 | 8,710 | 180,439 |
| March 2026 | 51,110 | 47,406 | 7,241 | 184,209 |
Latest Quarter
FY2026 Q2
| Slice | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Approved | 47,406 | 19.8% |
| Denied | 7,241 | 3.0% |
| Pending | 184,209 | 77.1% |
Receipts (latest qtr)
51,110
Approval rate
86.7%
Currently pending
184,209
Quarter-over-Quarter Movement
How the median processing time has changed each quarter
Median Changes
Green = faster, Red = slower
| Series | Delta |
|---|---|
| Sep 25 | -4.8 mo |
| Jun 25 | +3.7 mo |
| Mar 26 | -3.0 mo |
| Sep 24 | +1.1 mo |
| Jun 24 | +0.5 mo |
| Dec 24 | -0.2 mo |
| Mar 25 | -0.1 mo |
Processing Time Distribution for I-140
How processing times for I-140 are distributed, based on national p50 and p93 data
| Metric | Months |
|---|---|
| Typical (p50) | 3.4 months |
| Slow (p93) | 4.8 months |
| Your case | — |
Estimate Your I-140 Timeline
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