1.33 Million I-485 Applicants Waiting: 2026 USCIS Backlog Data Breakdown

A Reddit community member analyzing public USCIS data has shared a detailed breakdown of the current I-485 (Adjustment of Status) backlog. As of the analysis, approximately 1.33 million cases are pending nationwide, underscoring the significant demand for green cards across all immigrant categories. Employment-based applicants, including EB-3 workers, are seeing a 92% approval rate once cases are adjudicated — one of the stronger approval rates among all categories. Family-based petitions stand at 87%, while Cuban adjustment and refugee/asylee cases show even higher rates at 95–96%. Geographically, the heaviest backlogs are concentrated in Florida field offices: Kendall leads with approximately 38,000 pending cases, followed by Hialeah at 32,000, and Tampa at 22,000. Applicants filed through these offices should anticipate extended wait times. Perhaps most concerning is the processing pace: adjudications have slowed roughly 3x over the last several months. For EB-3 applicants already waiting on priority date movement per the Visa Bulletin, this adjudication slowdown adds another layer of delay even after a date becomes current. Applicants are advised to monitor their local field office's processing times via the USCIS website and ensure all documentation is up to date to avoid RFEs that could further extend wait times.