CasePredictor

I-485 — Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status

employmentFiling fee: $1,440

Median wait (p50)

9.1 months

Range: 6.0–18.5 months

Fastest subtype

6.0 months

Family

Slowest subtype

18.5 months

Other

Year-over-year

0.0 mo

-0.0 mo

vs. Sep 25 last year

What is I-485?

Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, allows individuals physically present in the United States to apply for a Green Card without returning to their home country for consular processing. It is one of the most commonly filed immigration forms, covering family-based, employment-based, refugee/asylee, diversity visa, and special immigrant pathways.

Who files this form?

  • Family members of U.S. citizens or permanent residents with an approved I-130 petition
  • Workers with an approved I-140 employment-based petition and a current priority date
  • Asylees and refugees eligible for adjustment after one year
  • Diversity visa lottery winners
  • Special immigrants (religious workers, certain juveniles, etc.)

Typical processing time today

Processing times vary significantly by category. Employment-based cases currently average around 7–11 months, while family-based and asylum categories may take longer. Cases requiring security checks or RFEs may exceed the p93 estimate.

I-485 Processing Times by Subtype

Current p50 and p93 wait times across all subtypes

Heatmap

p50 and p93 months by subtype

6.0
25.9
I-485 processing times heatmap
RowColumnValue
Asylump5011.9
Cubanp509.1
Employmentp507.5
Familyp506.0
Otherp5018.5
Refugeep507.5
Asylump9316.7
Cubanp9312.7
Employmentp9310.5
Familyp938.4
Otherp9325.9
Refugeep9310.5

Range Bars

p50 → p93 spread per subtype

I-485 processing time ranges by subtype
SeriesTypical (p50)Slow (p93)
Other18.5 months25.9 months
Asylum11.9 months16.7 months
Cuban9.1 months12.7 months
Employment7.5 months10.5 months
Refugee7.5 months10.5 months
Family6.0 months8.4 months
Subtypep50p93SpreadExplore
Family6.0 months8.4 months2.4 moCalculate ETA →
Employment7.5 months10.5 months3.0 moCalculate ETA →
Refugee7.5 months10.5 months3.0 moCalculate ETA →
Cuban9.1 months12.7 months3.6 moCalculate ETA →
Asylum11.9 months16.7 months4.8 moCalculate ETA →
Other18.5 months25.9 months7.4 moCalculate ETA →

I-485 Historical Processing Trend

Quarterly median processing time over the available data period

Median Processing Time Trend

7 quarterly data points

I-485 historical processing time trend
MonthI-485 Median
December 20238.7 months
June 20248.4 months
September 20248.0 months
December 20249.0 months
March 20258.8 months
June 20257.8 months
September 20257.9 months

Year-over-Year Comparison

Overlay processing times by calendar year to reveal seasonal patterns

I-485 Processing Times by Year

Each line represents one calendar year

I-485 year-over-year processing time comparison
Month202320242025
Jan———
Feb———
Mar——8.8 months
Apr———
May———
Jun—8.4 months7.8 months
Jul———
Aug———
Sep—8.0 months7.9 months
Oct———
Nov———
Dec8.7 months9.0 months—

I-485 Volume & Approval Rate

Quarterly case volumes and disposition breakdown

Quarterly Volume Trend

Receipts, approvals, denials, and pending cases

I-485 quarterly volume trend
MonthReceiptsApprovalsDenialsPending
December 2023256,826150,32615,9351,005,983
June 2024223,575215,56917,0501,032,289
September 2024218,679213,18421,3181,007,951
December 2024271,261190,62918,8511,071,245
March 2025273,988178,54921,3061,147,113
June 2025273,184170,70322,7791,237,464
September 2025240,991205,05223,8181,243,917

Latest Quarter

FY2025 Q4

I-485 latest quarter disposition
SliceValueShare
Approved205,05213.9%
Denied23,8181.6%
Pending1,243,91784.5%

Receipts (latest qtr)

240,991

Approval rate

89.6%

Currently pending

1,243,917

Quarter-over-Quarter Movement

How the median processing time has changed each quarter

Median Changes

Green = faster, Red = slower

Dec 24+1.1 moJun 25-1.0 moSep 24-0.5 moMar 25-0.3 moJun 24-0.3 moSep 25+0.2 mo
I-485 quarter-over-quarter median changes
SeriesDelta
Dec 24+1.1 mo
Jun 25-1.0 mo
Sep 24-0.5 mo
Mar 25-0.3 mo
Jun 24-0.3 mo
Sep 25+0.2 mo

Processing Time Distribution for I-485

How processing times for I-485 are distributed, based on national p50 and p93 data

p50p930m5m10m15m20m
I-485 processing time distribution
MetricMonths
Typical (p50)9.1 months
Slow (p93)12.7 months
Your case—

Estimate Your I-485 Timeline

Pre-filled with this form — just pick a subtype and enter your receipt date

Calculate ETA

Related Forms

I-130

Family Petition

38.0 months

Current median p50

I-140

Employment Petition

6.4 months

Current median p50

I-765

EAD

2.3 months

Current median p50

Frequently Asked Questions about I-485