EB2-NIW ROW I-485 Approval Timeline: ~5 Months from Filing to Green Card

A Reddit user in the ROW (Rest of World) category recently shared their EB2-NIW I-485 adjustment of status approval timeline, offering useful data points for applicants tracking their own cases. The applicant, a PhD student in computer science at a US university, filed their I-485, I-765, and I-131 concurrently in October 2025 with a priority date of April 2024. The process moved relatively quickly: biometrics were completed in November 2025, the EAD was approved within two weeks of biometrics, and the I-485 was approved in March 2026 — roughly five months after filing. Notably, the interview was waived at the biometrics appointment, which is increasingly common for employment-based adjustment cases. The applicant provided insight into the USCIS silent API, noting that background check clearances appear to be processed by officers at the time of actual application review, with FTA0 events appearing on the API only at that point. A field office transfer to Manchester was inferred from an API update in January 2026. For EB-3 and other employment-based applicants, this timeline is informative, though individual experiences vary. The case was processed at a non-local field office (Manchester), which may affect processing speed compared to local FO assignments. While this specific case is EB2-NIW rather than EB-3, the I-485 adjudication process and timelines are closely related, making this data relevant to employment-based green card applicants monitoring their adjustment of status cases.