USCIS Processing Time Information

[Gianluca 3]

Hi guys, I m trying to check on processing time because I filed my I-485 in January USCIS received it on February 18 today is August 20 and they still have to call me for the interview and wondering something is wrong. Anyway if you check cases were filed in Chicago IL right here https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/processingTimesDisplay.do it says "Processing time frame" October 12 2014 and Field Office Processing Dates for Chicago IL as of: June 30, 2015, what does it mean? that forms were filed in October were processed on June 30??

​I don't get it

[spring333 44]

i know Chi office is extremely busy....ppl wait more than 6 months. but why did you send your application in Chicago if you live in NY?

[Gianluca 3]

i know Chi office is extremely busy....ppl wait more than 6 months. but why did you send your application in Chicago if you live in NY?

hey Thanks for reply, that-s the office where it was told me to send it, I believe I gathered all info from the guidelines in this website

[Hypnos 6,576]

All family-based AoS cases are sent initially to the Chicago Lockbox facility, where they are sorted and dispersed into the USCIS system.

[stormnut42 13]

Hey Gianluca,

First off, what kind of case did you file? Are you being sponsored by a U.S. spouse (wife)?

Did you file while you were already in the U.S.? And, did you file the I-130 and I-485 together?

If you answered yes to those questions above, then your case is very similar to mine. I am from Canada and married to a U.S. citizen and we filed our case while I was inside the U.S. on February 06, 2015 and they received it on February 10th, 2015.

It sounds as though you were instructed to send your I-485 to the Chicago lock-box but, that is not where it is processed. That is just a receiving box. I sent my forms there too. Then, the forms will go from there to one of 5 processing centers depending on your type of case and where you plan to live in the U.S. My case is being processed at the National Benefits Center in the state of Missouri. Do you have a Notice of Action form that you received after they received your I-485 form? It will either be from: Missouri, California, Vermont, Nebraska or Texas. Once you know what service center is processing your case, you can then find out what their processing times are. It will not be Chicago. After your case is processed, they will then send it to a local office somewhere near you in New York. Then, they will schedule you for an interview.

I hope this helps.

Edited August 20, 2015 by stormnut42

[Amhara 460]

I have been wondering about this too. When we send off our AOS, and if it goes to Dallas, it says processing time frame as August 24, 2014. Does this mean we will need to wait 14 months for the green card? Are they going to wait until our 2 year anniversary so we get the regular green card instead of conditional green card?

[stormnut42 13]

I think you are getting the different processing centers confused and how to read the processing times.

When you first mail in a form or set of forms, it usually goes to 1 of 5 NATIONAL Processing Centers (California, Vermont, Nebraska, Missouri or Texas). When it gets there, they make sure everything is in order and you wait for them to finish processing it and approve it. Once your I-130 Petition is approved, they usually send it along with your I-485 to a local Field Office in the state that you will be living in. For example, in my case, I mailed all my forms to the Chicago lock-box. From there, they went to the NATIONAL Service Center in Lee's Summit, Missouri because of my particular case (Beneficiary [me] is already in the U.S. and has been married to a U.S. citizen more than 2 years). When my I-130 is approved, they will send it and my I-485 to the Detroit, Michigan Field Office because I am living in the state of Michigan. When it is time for my interview, they will send me a letter and I will schedule my interview at the Detroit. If I am approved at the interview, my I-485 status will update to Approved.

The processing time you are most likely looking for is at the NATIONAL Processing Center, to see how far they are on approving your forms. But, if your I-130 is already approved, you might be sending your I-485 to a different office (Maybe a local Field Office - it depends on your type of case).

Processing times: 1. If an office is processing a form in an expected time period, it will say how many months it is taking, such as....... 5 months. 2. But, if your form is taking longer than expected, they will show the date of the last form they were working on. So, if you see the date - August 24, 2014, that most recent form they finished, was on August 24, 2014. But, this is not always accurate. Sometimes the dates they post, are over 2 months old!

Right now, my case is waiting to schedule me for an interview at my local Field Office in Detroit, Michigan. It says that the last Adjustment of Status case they completed was on October 9, 2014. But, it says that date was post on May 31, 2015 so, it is over 2 months old! I also found out that I am still waiting for my I-130 Petition to be approved. In my case, the I-130 and I-485 were filed together. What is even more stupid, is that the NATIONAL Service Center that is processing that form in Lee's Summit, Missouri (NBC - National Benefits Center)... they do not show processing times for that form! So, to know how much longer it will take, I have to rely on people posting approval times on this website. Right now, it says that the most current I-130 processed at the NBC is January 3, 2015. On the I-797 Receipt Notice for my I-130 form, it shows my Priority Date (the date they received my forms) is February 10, 2015. So, January 3, 2015 to February 10, 2015 is not that far apart. So, I should get an approval notice for my I-130 form very soon! After that, they will likely send my I-485 Adjustment of Status to Detroit and schedule me for an interview. I am just guessing that the Detroit office has moved from their last I-485 case on October 9, 2014 and is probably working on cases around January 2015.

I hope this helps and has not confused you further.

Edited August 20, 2015 by stormnut42

[Gianluca 3]

Hey Gianluca,

First off, what kind of case did you file? Are you being sponsored by a U.S. spouse (wife)?

Did you file while you were already in the U.S.? And, did you file the I-130 and I-485 together?

If you answered yes to those questions above, then your case is very similar to mine. I am from Canada and married to a U.S. citizen and we filed our case while I was inside the U.S. on February 06, 2015 and they received it on February 10th, 2015.

It sounds as though you were instructed to send your I-485 to the Chicago lock-box but, that is not where it is processed. That is just a receiving box. I sent my forms there too. Then, the forms will go from there to one of 5 processing centers depending on your type of case and where you plan to live in the U.S. My case is being processed at the National Benefits Center in the state of Missouri. Do you have a Notice of Action form that you received after they received your I-485 form? It will either be from: Missouri, California, Vermont, Nebraska or Texas. Once you know what service center is processing your case, you can then find out what their processing times are. It will not be Chicago. After your case is processed, they will then send it to a local office somewhere near you in New York. Then, they will schedule you for an interview.

I hope this helps.

I see yes all the answer above are yes, thank you for the info I will check the receipt and see about that.

thank you again

[Ryan H 3,812]

Moved from IR-1/CR-1 Process & Procedures to USCIS Service Centers forum; topic is about USCIS operations.

[Gianluca 3]

Hey Gianluca,

First off, what kind of case did you file? Are you being sponsored by a U.S. spouse (wife)?

Did you file while you were already in the U.S.? And, did you file the I-130 and I-485 together?

If you answered yes to those questions above, then your case is very similar to mine. I am from Canada and married to a U.S. citizen and we filed our case while I was inside the U.S. on February 06, 2015 and they received it on February 10th, 2015.

It sounds as though you were instructed to send your I-485 to the Chicago lock-box but, that is not where it is processed. That is just a receiving box. I sent my forms there too. Then, the forms will go from there to one of 5 processing centers depending on your type of case and where you plan to live in the U.S. My case is being processed at the National Benefits Center in the state of Missouri. Do you have a Notice of Action form that you received after they received your I-485 form? It will either be from: Missouri, California, Vermont, Nebraska or Texas. Once you know what service center is processing your case, you can then find out what their processing times are. It will not be Chicago. After your case is processed, they will then send it to a local office somewhere near you in New York. Then, they will schedule you for an interview.

I hope this helps.

Hi, so I actually checked the mail came with the notice of action of the I-485 and it came from Lee's Summit Missouri but If I couldn't find on USCIS time processing web page.....is there something I don't get??

[stormnut42 13]

Hey Gianluca,

What does the Notice of Action say? Is this your second Notice of Action? If you filed your papers in January of this year, you should have received the first Notice of Action (NOA1) about a week after you mailed your forms.

[stormnut42 13]

Sorry, I misunderstood you. I thought you were saying you got a Notice of Action in the mail TODAY.

To answer your question.....

Unfortunately the National Benefits Center (NBC) does not show processing times for the forms I-485 and I-130. I don't know why. The I-130 will have to approved first. Then, I think they send your I-130 and I-485 to your local office in the state you live in. Then, you wait to be scheduled for an interview. Maybe they schedule the interview when they approve the I-130... I don't know for sure.

But, if you click on Processing Times here at Visa Journey, you can look on the right side of the page and see where each service center is for processing certain forms. Under I-130 for IR1/CR1 you will see that the NBC is currently processing cases from January 11, 2015. You filed your papers in January so, you should receive approval on your I-130 very soon. What is the Priority date listed on your Notice of Action? It should be the same date that the NBC received your case.

[Gianluca 3]

Sorry, I misunderstood you. I thought you were saying you got a Notice of Action in the mail TODAY.

To answer your question.....

Unfortunately the National Benefits Center (NBC) does not show processing times for the forms I-485 and I-130. I don't know why. The I-130 will have to approved first. Then, I think they send your I-130 and I-485 to your local office in the state you live in. Then, you wait to be scheduled for an interview. Maybe they schedule the interview when they approve the I-130... I don't know for sure.

But, if you click on Processing Times here at Visa Journey, you can look on the right side of the page and see where each service center is for processing certain forms. Under I-130 for IR1/CR1 you will see that the NBC is currently processing cases from January 11, 2015. You filed your papers in January so, you should receive approval on your I-130 very soon. What is the Priority date listed on your Notice of Action? It should be the same date that the NBC received your case.

just checking now the priority date on the I-797C for the I-485 is December 31 2014 actually

[stormnut42 13]

Do you know which local office you will go to for your interview?

[stormnut42 13]

It looks like most of the New York offices are processing I-485 forms from September and October 2014 right now. The New York City office last reported they were on cases from October 22, 2014. But, they are probably actually working on cases in November by now. I am guess you will probably get a letter within the next few weeks, scheduling you for an interview. I'm just guessing but, I would think you'll probably have your interview sometime in late September or in October. My local office in Detroit is also only on cases from late October 2014 and my I-485 priority date is February 10th! I might not have my interview till October but, I hope sooner! I want to get my Greencard before November. So, 3 years from now I can have U.S. citizenship and be able to vote in the November 2018 election!