The eight I-140 queues
USCIS adjudicates I-140s at the service centers without interviews, and publishes a separate window per immigrant category. The spread is wide and rational: categories with heavier evidence review (extraordinary ability, multinational executives) run longer than ones with pre-certified labor behind them. The fastest and slowest rows can differ by a full year — category choice, filed correctly, is itself a processing-time strategy.
| Category | Office / queue | Published 80% window | vs previous release | Inquire after |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 · Extraordinary ability USCIS Service Center Operations (SCOPS) prioritizes processing of Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, when the Department of State Visa Bulletin shows an immigrant visa is available. The Visa Bulletin, published monthly, lists available immigrant visas by priority date. We use the visa bulletin to determine the current visa categories and priority dates. SCOPS has prioritized our adjudications so we can focus on cases with visas available and can move related Applications to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (Form I-485) to the National Benefits Center. This prioritization supports the USCIS-wide effort to use all employment-based visas available during the fiscal year. It does not affect premium processed petitions, which we will manage in the associated time frame for premium processing service. | Service Centers | 32.5–35.5 mo | +1 mo | November 07, 2023 |
| EB-2 · National interest waiver (NIW) USCIS Service Center Operations (SCOPS) prioritizes processing of Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, when the Department of State Visa Bulletin shows an immigrant visa is available. The Visa Bulletin, published monthly, lists available immigrant visas by priority date. We use the visa bulletin to determine the current visa categories and priority dates. SCOPS has prioritized our adjudications so we can focus on cases with visas available and can move related Applications to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (Form I-485) to the National Benefits Center. This prioritization supports the USCIS-wide effort to use all employment-based visas available during the fiscal year. It does not affect premium processed petitions, which we will manage in the associated time frame for premium processing service. | Service Centers | 30–33 mo | +1 mo | January 21, 2024 |
| EB-1 · Multinational executive or manager USCIS Service Center Operations (SCOPS) prioritizes processing of Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, when the Department of State Visa Bulletin shows an immigrant visa is available. The Visa Bulletin, published monthly, lists available immigrant visas by priority date. We use the visa bulletin to determine the current visa categories and priority dates. SCOPS has prioritized our adjudications so we can focus on cases with visas available and can move related Applications to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (Form I-485) to the National Benefits Center. This prioritization supports the USCIS-wide effort to use all employment-based visas available during the fiscal year. It does not affect premium processed petitions, which we will manage in the associated time frame for premium processing service. | Service Centers | 27.5–29.5 mo | +0.5 mo | May 02, 2024 |
| Schedule A · Nurses USCIS Service Center Operations (SCOPS) prioritizes processing of Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, when the Department of State Visa Bulletin shows an immigrant visa is available. The Visa Bulletin, published monthly, lists available immigrant visas by priority date. We use the visa bulletin to determine the current visa categories and priority dates. SCOPS has prioritized our adjudications so we can focus on cases with visas available and can move related Applications to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (Form I-485) to the National Benefits Center. This prioritization supports the USCIS-wide effort to use all employment-based visas available during the fiscal year. It does not affect premium processed petitions, which we will manage in the associated time frame for premium processing service. | Service Centers | 25.5–26.5 mo | +0.5 mo | August 01, 2024 |
| EB-1 · Outstanding professor or researcher USCIS Service Center Operations (SCOPS) prioritizes processing of Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, when the Department of State Visa Bulletin shows an immigrant visa is available. The Visa Bulletin, published monthly, lists available immigrant visas by priority date. We use the visa bulletin to determine the current visa categories and priority dates. SCOPS has prioritized our adjudications so we can focus on cases with visas available and can move related Applications to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (Form I-485) to the National Benefits Center. This prioritization supports the USCIS-wide effort to use all employment-based visas available during the fiscal year. It does not affect premium processed petitions, which we will manage in the associated time frame for premium processing service. | Service Centers | 15–18.5 mo | -0.5 mo | April 10, 2025 |
| EB-3 · Other (unskilled) worker USCIS Service Center Operations (SCOPS) prioritizes processing of Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, when the Department of State Visa Bulletin shows an immigrant visa is available. The Visa Bulletin, published monthly, lists available immigrant visas by priority date. We use the visa bulletin to determine the current visa categories and priority dates. SCOPS has prioritized our adjudications so we can focus on cases with visas available and can move related Applications to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (Form I-485) to the National Benefits Center. This prioritization supports the USCIS-wide effort to use all employment-based visas available during the fiscal year. It does not affect premium processed petitions, which we will manage in the associated time frame for premium processing service. | Service Centers | 9–15 mo | +2.5 mo | July 21, 2025 |
| EB-3 · Skilled worker or professional USCIS Service Center Operations (SCOPS) prioritizes processing of Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, when the Department of State Visa Bulletin shows an immigrant visa is available. The Visa Bulletin, published monthly, lists available immigrant visas by priority date. We use the visa bulletin to determine the current visa categories and priority dates. SCOPS has prioritized our adjudications so we can focus on cases with visas available and can move related Applications to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (Form I-485) to the National Benefits Center. This prioritization supports the USCIS-wide effort to use all employment-based visas available during the fiscal year. It does not affect premium processed petitions, which we will manage in the associated time frame for premium processing service. | Service Centers | 4–8 mo | -0.5 mo | February 22, 2026 |
| EB-2 · Advanced degree or exceptional ability USCIS Service Center Operations (SCOPS) prioritizes processing of Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, when the Department of State Visa Bulletin shows an immigrant visa is available. The Visa Bulletin, published monthly, lists available immigrant visas by priority date. We use the visa bulletin to determine the current visa categories and priority dates. SCOPS has prioritized our adjudications so we can focus on cases with visas available and can move related Applications to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (Form I-485) to the National Benefits Center. This prioritization supports the USCIS-wide effort to use all employment-based visas available during the fiscal year. It does not affect premium processed petitions, which we will manage in the associated time frame for premium processing service. | Service Centers | 3–6.5 mo | -1 mo | April 01, 2026 |
Premium processing: the one lever that works here
I-140 is one of the classic premium processing forms: file Form I-907 and the case moves to a guaranteed 15-business-day clock, with the fee refunded if USCIS misses it. That makes premium the cleanest speed purchase in employment immigration — unlike I-485 or N-400, where no amount of money moves the queue. The premium processing page covers eligibility, mechanics and the current fee (which USCIS adjusts periodically — we link the official calculator rather than quote a stale number).
PERM first: why some rows lag
EB-2 and EB-3 cases generally rest on an approved PERM labor certification that itself took months or years. The published I-140 window measures only the I-140 — but planning a real timeline means adding the PERM stage in front. The green card timeline shows the full arc, and the priority date guide explains which clock controls when demand exceeds supply.