USCIS publishes one processing time for Form I-129, adjudicated at Service Center Operations (SCOPS): currently 20–22.5 months. Its case inquiry date is December 05, 2024 — the date USCIS uses to decide whether a case is outside normal processing times. If the receipt date on your Form I-797C receipt notice is earlier than it, USCIS will accept a case inquiry (a service request) on the case; if it is later, USCIS treats the case as still within normal processing times. At the September 17, 2026 revision, 10 of these 15 entries had that date moved backward.
I-129 processing time at the office that adjudicates it
| Office | Subtype | Processing time | Case inquiry date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Center Operations (SCOPS) | 137-E E - Treaty traders and investors | 20–22.5 months+0.5 mo | December 05, 2024−5 d |
| Service Center Operations (SCOPS) | 137-E3 E3 - Specialty occupation workers from Australia | 5–7.5 months+0.5 mo | March 05, 2026−8 d |
| Service Center Operations (SCOPS) | 137-H1B1 H-1B - Specialty occupation - Visa to be issued abroad | 11–13 months+1.5 mo | September 12, 2025−55 d |
| Service Center Operations (SCOPS) | 137-H1B2 H-1B - Specialty occupation - Change of status in the U.S. | 10–11.5 months | October 30, 2025−4 d |
| Service Center Operations (SCOPS) | 137-H1B3 H-1B - Specialty occupation - Extension of stay in the U.S. | 11.5–12.5 months+0.5 mo | October 07, 2025−15 d |
| Service Center Operations (SCOPS) | 137-H2AN H-2A - Temporary agricultural workers - Named Beneficiary | 15–4 months | June 11, 2026 |
| Service Center Operations (SCOPS) | 137-H2AU H-2A - Temporary agricultural workers - Unnamed Beneficiary | 15–4 months | June 11, 2026 |
| Service Center Operations (SCOPS) | 137-H2B H-2B - Temporary nonagricultural workers | 4–8 months−0.5 mo | February 20, 2026+18 d |
| Service Center Operations (SCOPS) | 137-H3 H-3 - Temporary trainees | 17–19.5 months | February 28, 2025 |
| Service Center Operations (SCOPS) | 137-L Intracompany transferees and blanket L | 6.5–10.5 months | November 26, 2025−3 d |
| Service Center Operations (SCOPS) | 137-O O - Extraordinary ability | 14.5–17.5 months+0.5 mo | April 30, 2025−12 d |
| Service Center Operations (SCOPS) | 137-P P - Athletes, artists, and entertainers | 13–15 months+0.5 mo | July 19, 2025−17 d |
| Service Center Operations (SCOPS) | 137-Q Q - Cultural exchange visitors | 7–19.5 months−13.5 mo | February 27, 2025+410 d |
| Service Center Operations (SCOPS) | 137-R R - Religious occupation | 9.5–12 months | October 12, 2025−9 d |
| Service Center Operations (SCOPS) | 137-TN TN - United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA, formerly NAFTA) professional | 4.5–7 months | March 11, 2026−4 d |
How to read the I-129 figures
Processing time is the range USCIS itself publishes for Form I-129. It is an estimate of how long the agency is taking overall, not a measurement of any individual case, and USCIS revises it roughly monthly without announcing the change.
Case inquiry date is the one that decides what you can do. Find your office in the table above and compare that date against the receipt date printed on your Form I-797C receipt notice. If your receipt date is earlier, USCIS treats the case as outside normal processing times and will accept a case inquiry, also called a service request. If it is later, USCIS treats the case as still within normal processing times and will not act on an inquiry.
The coloured figures show what moved at the most recent revision. Next to a processing time, a red figure means USCIS raised the published upper bound. Next to a case inquiry date, a red figure means the date moved backward — cases that had become eligible to inquire are once again treated as within normal processing times.
What USCIS changed for I-129
Every revision this archive has recorded that touched Form I-129. USCIS publishes no history of its own revisions, so this is the only record that these figures were ever different.
| Observed | USCIS posting date | Inquiry date moved back | Slower | Faster |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-18 | August 17, 2026 → September 17, 2026 | 10 | 6 | 2 |
| 2026-08-18 | July 15, 2026 → August 17, 2026 | 11 | 8 | 0 |
| 2026-07-16 | June 23, 2026 → July 15, 2026 | 9 | 8 | 1 |
| 2026-06-24 | May 22, 2026 → June 23, 2026 | 9 | 7 | 1 |
Get alerted when this changes
USCIS revises these figures without notice and announces nothing. Tell us which office is handling your case for Form I-129 and we will email you when that exact combination moves — never for the routine daily shift.
We send one email asking you to confirm. Nothing else is sent until you click it. Every alert has a one-click unsubscribe.
Processing times for other forms
Every form USCIS publishes a processing time for.
I-90 I-102 I-129CW I-129F I-130 I-131 I-140 I-212 I-360 I-407 I-485 I-526 I-526(L) I-526E I-539 I-600 I-600A I-600A3 I-601 I-601A I-612 I-730 I-751 I-765 I-765V I-800 I-800A I-800A3 I-817 I-821 I-821D I-824 I-829 I-914 I-918 I-929 I-956 I-956F N-400 N-565 N-600 N-600K
← All forms and offices, and what changed at the last revision