I-765 processing time
Application for Employment Authorization
From USCIS data captured July 22, 2026
Fastest office
National Benefits Center
9 – 23 months
Slowest office
Service Center Operations (SCOPS)
1 – 26 months
Offices
2
process this form
Every office, fastest to slowest
| Office | Category | Current time | Case inquiry possible for receipts on/before |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Benefits Center | Application for Suspension of Deportation/Sec.244/NACARA/Cancel of Removal [(c)(10)] | 9 – 23 months | September 05, 2024 |
| Based on parole | 12.5 – 17 months | February 24, 2025 | |
| Alien with Final Order of Deportation Under an OSUP [(c)(18)] | 15 – 17 months | March 01, 2025 | |
| Based on a pending I-485 adjustment application [(c)(9)] | 10.5 – 12.5 months | July 21, 2025 | |
| All other applications for employment authorization | 10 – 12.5 months | July 09, 2025 | |
| Service Center Operations (SCOPS) | Based on being an H-4 spouse of an H-1B nonimmigrant (filed with I-539 H4) [(c)(26)] | 6 – 9.5 months | October 21, 2025 |
| Based on being an L-2 spouse of an L-1 nonimmigrant [(a)(18)] | 16.5 – 26 months | June 05, 2024 | |
| Based on being admitted as a Refugee [(a)(3)] | 19 – 22.5 months | September 18, 2024 | |
| Based on an approved asylum application [(a)(5)] | 4.5 – 15 months | April 29, 2025 | |
| Based on being an H-4 spouse of an H-1B nonimmigrant (Standalone; not filed with I-539 H4) [(c)(26)] | 16.5 – 18 months | January 21, 2025 | |
| Based on a request by a qualified F-1 academic student [(c)(3)] | 3.5 – 5.5 months | February 18, 2026 | |
| Based on an approved, concurrently filed, I-821D [(c)(33)] | no posted time | ||
| Based on a pending asylum application [(c)(8)] -renewal/replacement | 15 – 17.5 months | February 11, 2025 | |
| Based on a pending asylum application [(c)(8)] – Initial Application | 1 – 4 months | June 27, 2026 | |
| Based on a pending I-485 adjustment application [(c)(9)] | 12 – 15 months | May 01, 2025 | |
| Based on TPS for El Salvador [(c)(19), (a)(12)] | 15 – 16.5 months | March 08, 2025 | |
| All other applications for employment authorization | 14.5 – 18.5 months | January 08, 2025 |
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Frequently asked questions
How long does Form I-765 take in 2026?
Per USCIS data captured July 22, 2026, I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization) takes from 9 – 23 months at the fastest office (National Benefits Center) to 1 – 26 months at the slowest (Service Center Operations (SCOPS)).
Which office is fastest for I-765?
As of the latest data, National Benefits Center shows the shortest time: 9 – 23 months.
What does this processing time mean?
USCIS calculates it as the time in which 80% of adjudicated cases were completed over the past six months. It is a reference point, not a promise about any individual case.
How often is this page updated?
Arrive Legal captures USCIS-published data weekly and archives every capture to show trends over time.
Official source: USCIS Case Processing Times. See our methodology.