USCIS AOS 2026 Alert: Post-Interview Waiting Game Hits EB-3 and Family Cases

Over the past 5-6 months, a notable pattern has emerged among USCIS applicants: cases with clean records — no overstay, no violations — are being processed rapidly through initial stages. Biometric appointments are scheduled quickly, interviews follow soon after, and any minor RFEs are issued and resolved without significant delay. However, the trend reveals a sharp contrast once the interview is completed. Applicants report entering an extended waiting period post-interview with no Request for Evidence, no additional correspondence, and no decision issued. This stall appears to affect both employment-based (EB) and family-based adjustment of status cases alike. For EB-3 applicants, this pattern is particularly concerning given the already lengthy green card backlogs from countries like India, China, and the Philippines. A post-interview delay compounds the overall timeline without providing any actionable next steps for applicants or their attorneys. Community members speculate that the bottleneck may be related to increased background check scrutiny, adjudicator workload changes, or internal policy shifts under the current administration's AOS processing guidelines in 2026. No official USCIS statement has confirmed the cause. Applicants experiencing this delay are advised to monitor their case status closely, consult with an immigration attorney if the wait extends beyond 90 days post-interview, and consider filing a mandamus action if unreasonable delays persist without explanation.