GOVERNMENT PROCESSING TIMES
FOR IMMIGRATION-RELATED APPLICATIONS AND PETITIONS

Immigration-related applications and petitions are handled by one or more federal government agencies, including U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS, a bureau within the Department of Homeland Security), the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), and the U.S. Department of State. Processing times within these agencies fluctuate, sometimes dramatically, in response to changes in workload, changes in law or policy, availability of resources, and the periodic reordering of priorities.

The best sources for government processing times are the agencies themselves. While these agencies do not have the resources to provide much case-specific status information, they often provide periodic reports on processing times based on the type of application or petition and the date of filing. Following are links to agencies providing such information:

• USCIS processing times: The USCIS web site has an online case status feature, as well as links to processing times reports from the individual field offices and Service Centers. For this and other USCIS information, see www.uscis.gov.
  
  
• DOL and State Workforce Agency processing times: For processing times of labor certification applications, both at the State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) where they are initially filed and at the regional DOL offices to which the applications are sent for final determination, see http://workforcesecurity.doleta.gov/foreign/times.asp.

Other federal agencies and individual U.S. consulates may provide processing times on their web sites, but if it is unclear from the web site whether the quoted processing times are frequently updated, it is best to call or e-mail the agency or consulate for current processing times, particularly if a delay in processing is likely to affect employment or travel plans.