The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is a government agency that processes the applications of individuals seeking to become US citizens and permanent residents. While the USCIS offers a pathway to the American dream, it can be a long and tedious process, with many people wondering: how long does USCIS take to accept an application?
Happily Ever After on the Horizon?
The answer to this question depends on the type of application the individual is filing. The USCIS provides a variety of tools, such as the processing time calculator, to help people estimate the processing time for their application. Generally speaking, the average processing time for most applications is around 6 months, but it can be as short as a few weeks or as long as a year or more, depending on the particular application and the USCIS’s workload.
In addition, the USCIS provides an online case status checker that individuals can use to check their application’s progress and see if the USCIS has made a decision. This is the best way to stay up-to-date on the status of an application, as the processing times are subject to change.
Those Pesky USCIS Processing Times
The USCIS also understands that waiting for an application to be processed can be a stressful time, which is why it has taken steps to reduce its processing times. The USCIS has implemented several initiatives, such as the Evidence Intake Management System, that are designed to streamline the application process and improve processing times.
The USCIS also has various forms of premium processing for certain applications. Premium processing is a service that allows an applicant to pay a fee to have their application processed within 15 days. This is a useful option for individuals who need to have their application processed quickly, such as those who are applying for a visa or green card.
Applying for citizenship or a green card can be a long and difficult process, with many people wondering how long it will take the USCIS to process their application. The best way to find out the processing time for a particular application is to use the USCIS’s processing time calculator or online case status checker. Additionally, individuals who need their application processed quickly can use the USCIS’s premium processing service.