USCIS publishes chart on I-485 Adjustment of Status applications

On March 23, 2016, USCIS published a chart listing all I-485 applications received, approved, denied, and pending adjudication between October 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015. The chart breaks down I-485 applications into four main categories: family-based applications, employment-based applications, humanitarian-based applications, and other applications. On the employment-based side, the most striking figure is the number of cases still pending: 125,161. While there appears to be a slight uptick in processing times of late, the vast majority of I-485 applications continue to take between six and eight months for adjudication. 

Where these delays can cause considerable hardship to applicants with long-pending cases, we strongly urge all applicants with Employment Authorization Documents ("EADs") and/or advance parole issued based on a pending I-485 to track the expiration of those EAD/AP combo cards. When the EAD/AP combo card is due to expire within four months, applicants should immediately file for extensions of work and travel permission since USCIS may take up to 90 days to adjudicate the extensions. These extension requests do not require payment of additional filing fees, and the timing should be carefully considered in order to avoid interruptions in work authorization and cancellation of travel plans. For more information or to contact an attorney at Iandoli Desai & Cronin with questions about this process, please e-mail us at info@iandoli.com.