USCIS Processing Times for California ApplicantsIs Your Case on Track, or Overdue?
USCIS publishes the time it took to finish 80% of recent cases, office by office. This tracker turns that into a plain answer for California applicants: the typical window for your form, where your receipt date sits inside it, and what to do when a case is overdue.
Free tool · Santos Khoury Law
USCIS Processing Time Tracker
Enter your form and receipt date to see whether your case is on track, or overdue and worth escalating.
100% confidential. Runs in your browser, nothing is stored or sent.
All forms: current estimated times
14.6
Avg. months (all forms)
I-765
Fastest form
I-918
Slowest form
12
Forms tracked
Showing 25 of 25 entries
I-130
TSC
Petition for Alien Relative (spouse of USC)
7 to 11 months
I-130
NSC
Petition for Alien Relative
9 to 13 months
I-130
CSC
Petition for Alien Relative
8 to 12 months
I-140
TSC
Immigrant Worker Petition
5 to 9 months
I-140
NSC
Immigrant Worker Petition
6 to 10 months
I-140
TSC
Immigrant Worker Petition (Premium)
15 business days
I-485
NBC
Adjustment of Status (family)
8 to 16 months
I-485
NBC
Adjustment of Status (employment)
10 to 18 months
I-485
Field Office
Adjustment of Status
8 to 14 months
I-751
CSC
Remove Conditions on Residence
14 to 22 months
I-751
VSC
Remove Conditions on Residence
16 to 24 months
I-765
NSC
Employment Authorization (initial)
3 to 7 months
I-765
NSC
Employment Authorization (renewal)
4 to 8 months
I-765
TSC
Employment Authorization (asylum-based)
2 to 6 months
I-131
NSC
Travel Document (Advance Parole)
3 to 5 months
I-131
TSC
Travel Document
3 to 7 months
N-400
Field Office
Naturalization / Citizenship
6 to 10 months
I-589
Asylum Offices
Asylum (affirmative)
12 to 36+ months
I-589
Immigration Court
Asylum (defensive / court)
24 to 48+ months
I-129
CSC
H-1B Petition
2 to 6 months
I-129
CSC
H-1B Petition (Premium)
15 business days
I-129
VSC
L-1 Petition
3 to 7 months
I-526E
TSC
EB-5 Investor Petition
30 to 46 months
I-360
VSC
VAWA Self-Petition
12 to 20 months
I-918
VSC
U Visa Petition
48 to 72+ months
Estimated ranges based on published USCIS processing times and recent trends; the published figure is the time USCIS took to complete 80% of recent cases at that center. RFEs commonly add 4 to 8 months. Official numbers for your office: USCIS Processing Times · Check Case Status
Case stuck for months?
When a case sits outside normal processing times, there are real levers: service requests, Ombudsman inquiries, congressional liaisons, and mandamus lawsuits. We know when to pull each one.
Disclaimer: Ranges reflect published USCIS estimates and typical recent times; they change monthly, and your assigned service center or field office may be faster or slower. USCIS's published number is the time to complete 80% of recent cases, not a guarantee. Check the official USCIS processing times page for your specific office. This tool provides general information only and is not legal advice. Using it does not create an attorney-client relationship with Santos Khoury Law.
How it works in California
USCIS Processing Time Tracker: What It Means for a California Case
Interviews and biometrics for California residents are handled at the USCIS field offices in San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Ana, San Bernardino, San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento, Fresno, Imperial, while petitions are processed at service centers and the National Benefits Center regardless of where you live. That is why the same form can take a different time for two neighbors.
When a California case sits outside the published time, the levers are the same everywhere: an e-Request, a congressional liaison inquiry, the CIS Ombudsman, and, for long delays, a mandamus lawsuit in federal court. We handle mandamus cases for California clients.
The Courts, Facilities, and Offices That Decide California Cases
Immigration courts
San Francisco Immigration Court
100 Montgomery St, Suite 800, San Francisco, CA 94104
Est. wait 3.2 yrs · 12 judges · Pending 28,500
Los Angeles Immigration Court
606 S Olive St, 15th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90014
Est. wait 4.1 yrs · 28 judges · Pending 95,000
San Diego Immigration Court
401 Mile of Cars Way, Suite 200, National City, CA 91950
Est. wait 2.8 yrs · 5 judges · Pending 13,000
Wait times and pending-case figures are estimates; confirm your hearing with your A-number through EOIR.
ICE detention facilities
Southern California arrests usually end up at Otay Mesa or Adelanto; Central Valley and Bay Area cases go to Mesa Verde or Golden State Annex. Transfers to Arizona and Texas happen when California beds fill up.
Otay Mesa Detention Center, San Diego, CA: minutes from our San Diego office
Adelanto ICE Processing Center, Adelanto, CA: the largest facility in Southern California
Imperial Regional Detention Facility, Calexico, CA
Affirmative asylum interviews for California residents are generally scheduled through the Los Angeles Asylum Office (Anaheim) and San Francisco Asylum Office (Anaheim and San Francisco, CA).
USCIS field offices serving California: San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Ana, San Bernardino, San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento, Fresno, Imperial.
How we serve California
Our San Diego office sits ten miles from the Otay Mesa Detention Center and the San Diego Immigration Court. Our attorneys are admitted in California and appear in the Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco immigration courts.
Office: 3111 Camino Del Rio N, Suite 400, San Diego, CA 92108
Languages: English · Español · Português · العربية · Français · Hours: 24/7
Common questions
USCIS Processing Time Tracker Questions From California
How long does USCIS take to process my case?
It depends on the form and the office. Family petitions (I-130) and green card applications (I-485) commonly take about a year, work permits a few months, naturalization under a year at many offices, and affirmative asylum years. The tracker shows the typical range for each form and the official page shows the figure for your specific office.
What can I do if my case is outside normal processing times?
Submit an e-Request through your USCIS account, ask your congressional representative's office to open a liaison inquiry, contact the CIS Ombudsman, and, for long delays, file a writ of mandamus in federal court to compel a decision. We handle mandamus cases nationwide.
Does an RFE reset the clock?
No, but it adds time: a Request for Evidence commonly adds four to eight months. A complete, well-organized initial filing is the best way to avoid one.
Can a lawyer speed up my USCIS case?
A lawyer cannot skip the line, but can file an expedite request where criteria are met, fix a filing that is stuck on a solvable problem, and file mandamus when the delay is unreasonable. In many districts mandamus filings are resolved within 60 to 90 days.
Which USCIS office handles my case in California?
Interviews for California residents are scheduled at the field offices in San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Ana, San Bernardino, San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento, Fresno, Imperial. The petition itself is usually adjudicated at a service center or the National Benefits Center, so check the processing time for the office named on your receipt notice, not just your nearest field office.
How do I check my USCIS case status?
Enter the receipt number from your I-797C notice on the USCIS Case Status page, or create a USCIS online account to see updates and send inquiries. The tracker above tells you whether the time elapsed is normal for your form.
The tools show typical outcomes. A lawyer tells you what your record, your evidence, and your judge mean for you. Free consultation, 24/7, five languages.
