USCIS

USCIS pending caseload nears 12 million as processing slows, NPR analysis finds

April 17, 2026 Iniulat ng AI Larawang ginawa ng AI Fact checked

Nearly 12 million applications for immigration benefits were awaiting action at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services by the end of September 2025, including 11.6 million in USCIS’ backlog and 247,974 unopened filings in a separate “frontlog,” according to an NPR review of USCIS data. NPR reported the backlog grew by about 2 million in the first year of President Trump’s second term, a faster rise than during his entire first term, leaving more applicants without timely proof their filings were received.