US has over 1.5 million pending green card applications: USCIS data

More than 1.56 million applications for US permanent residency were pending with federal immigration authorities as of June 30, 2026. Florida, California and Texas accounted for some of the largest concentrations of cases, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data released on October 26.

US has over 1.5 million pending green card applications. (X/@unumihaimedia)USCIS had 1,560,290 pending applications filed through Form I-485, which allows eligible immigrants already in the country to apply for lawful permanent resident status, commonly known as a green card.

The figures cover the April-June quarter of 2026 and are available in the agency's FY2026 third-quarter Form I-485 report. Florida had 265,495 pending applications across nine USCIS field offices. Tampa recorded 46,609 cases, followed by Kendall with 45,973 and Hialeah with 43,153.

Texas field offices had 140,743 pending applications, including 57,601 in Houston, 38,257 in Dallas and 30,622 in San Antonio. California recorded 161,398 cases, with San Jose accounting for 23,633, Los Angeles 20,529 and San Francisco 18,364.

The figures do not represent the number of applicants living in these states. USCIS reports cases according to the office handling them, which may not be where applicants reside. Humanitarian applications made up the largest category, with 618,097 cases pending as of June 30, representing about 40% of the total.

Family-based applications accounted for 611,067 cases, or roughly 39%. Employment-based applications stood at 268,408, around 17% of the backlog, while 62,718 cases were listed under other categories. These figures are included in the USCIS Form I-485 quarterly report.

The backlog also includes applications handled by USCIS service centers. These recorded 246,100 pending cases in Vermont, 42,805 in Nebraska, 21,108 in California and 13,250 in Texas. USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler told Newsweek that the agency would not compromise screening standards to speed up decisions.

"U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will never sacrifice quality and screening for speed," he said. The figures come as the Trump administration has introduced measures tightening parts of the legal immigration system, including restrictions on humanitarian parole and the suspension of the US refugee admissions program.

The USCIS figures also showed that the approval rate for decided green card applications fell 2.6 percentage points from the previous quarter. The data provides a snapshot of pending cases but does not establish how long individual applicants have been waiting.

Asmi is a Senior Content Producer primarily covering stories related to NRIs, immigration, visas, citizenship and global mobility. She closely follows developments that affect Indians living, working and studying abroad, with a particular focus on translating complex policies and international developments into clear, accessible stories for readers.

As part of the US Desk, Asmi also reports on a wide range of political, economic and social developments in the United States, exploring their relevance to Indian and global audiences. Her work spans breaking news, features, trends and explanatory stories, with an emphasis on accuracy, timely reporting and audience-focused storytelling.

Asmi likes finding the human angle behind major developments and bringing context to stories that can often feel complicated or distant. She is especially interested in stories around immigration, life abroad, careers, education and the experiences of the Indian diaspora, while also exploring a wide range of topics that spark curiosity and conversation.

Outside the newsroom, Asmi is an avid reader and loves travelling, discovering new places, experiencing different cultures and collecting stories along the way.Read More