USCIS Processing Time Update: March 2026 EB-3 & EB-2 I-485 Inventory Full Breakdown

USCIS published its employment-based I-485 pending inventory as of March 3, 2026, just four days after the February filing — an unusually fast release that allows applicants and practitioners to track month-over-month trends with greater precision. For India EB-2, the total count fell again to 26,251, a drop of 733 cases in a single month. Nearly all of that decline was concentrated among 2013 priority date holders, whose count dropped from 9,233 to 8,594. Meanwhile, the significantly larger 2014 cohort — comprising nearly 17,000 cases — showed minimal movement, suggesting that bulletin advancement for that group remains constrained. India EB-3 also declined, settling at 16,699. As with EB-2, the inventory reduction reflects a combination of approvals, transfers, and potential withdrawals rather than pure processing velocity, making this data a useful but incomplete proxy for actual throughput. For EB-3 applicants tracking their place in the queue, these inventory figures offer a ground-level view of how USCIS is working through the backlog ahead of the July 2026 Visa Bulletin cycle. Analysts watching the data suggest that movement at 2013 EB-2 dates could eventually pressure the EB-3 cutoff forward, though the stalled 2014 group presents a significant bottleneck. Applicants with priority dates near the current cutoffs should monitor the upcoming Visa Bulletin projections closely and ensure their cases are properly documented and ready for adjudication when their dates become current.