USCIS publishes a processing time for Form I-539 at 2 offices. The published upper bound runs from 2.5 months at National Benefits Center to 25.5 months at Service Center Operations (SCOPS). Each office also carries a case inquiry date — 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, 13 of these 17 entries had that date moved backward.
I-539 processing time at each USCIS office that adjudicates it
| Office | Subtype | Processing time | Case inquiry date |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Benefits Center | 139A-OTH All other change of status applications | 1–2.5 months | July 26, 2026 |
| National Benefits Center | 139B-OTH All other extension of stay applications | 3–2.5 months | July 26, 2026 |
| Service Center Operations (SCOPS) | 139A-B Change of status to B nonimmigrant | 8–9 months | January 09, 2026−12 d |
| Service Center Operations (SCOPS) | 139A-FMJ Change of status to F or M student or J exchange visitor category | 8.5–10 months | December 10, 2025−0 d |
| Service Center Operations (SCOPS) | 139A-H Change of status to H4 dependents | 10.5–14 months+0.5 mo | August 21, 2025−14 d |
| Service Center Operations (SCOPS) | 139A-L Change of status to L dependent | 14.5–16 months+0.5 mo | June 19, 2025−5 d |
| Service Center Operations (SCOPS) | 139A-OTH All other change of status applications | 14–16 months+0.5 mo | June 21, 2025−13 d |
| Service Center Operations (SCOPS) | 139AC-H Change of status to H4 dependent with I-765 | 7.5–9.5 months+0.5 mo | January 01, 2026−10 d |
| Service Center Operations (SCOPS) | 139B-B Extension of stay for B nonimmigrant | 8.5–10 months+0.5 mo | December 24, 2025−3 d |
| Service Center Operations (SCOPS) | 139B-FMJ Extension of stay for F or M students and J exchange visitor category | 6.5–8 months+0.5 mo | February 15, 2026−8 d |
| Service Center Operations (SCOPS) | 139B-H Extension of stay for H4 dependents | 10.5–13.5 months+1.0 mo | September 03, 2025−25 d |
| Service Center Operations (SCOPS) | 139B-L Extension of stay for L dependents | 8.5–12 months+0.5 mo | October 14, 2025−17 d |
| Service Center Operations (SCOPS) | 139B-OTH All other extension of stay applications | 11–15.5 months+0.5 mo | July 05, 2025−18 d |
| Service Center Operations (SCOPS) | 139B-T Extension of stay for T nonimmigrant | 22–25.5 months+3.5 mo | September 06, 2024−95 d |
| Service Center Operations (SCOPS) | 139B-U Extension of stay for U nonimmigrant | 20.5–23 months | November 21, 2024 |
| Service Center Operations (SCOPS) | 139BC-H Extension of stay for H4 dependents with I-765 | 5–9 months+0.5 mo | January 17, 2026−11 d |
| Service Center Operations (SCOPS) | 139C Reinstatement to student status | 15–17.5 months+1.0 mo | May 05, 2025−24 d |
How to read the I-539 figures
Processing time is the range USCIS itself publishes for Form I-539. 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-539
Every revision this archive has recorded that touched Form I-539. 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 | 13 | 12 | 0 |
| 2026-08-18 | July 15, 2026 → August 17, 2026 | 13 | 11 | 1 |
| 2026-07-16 | June 23, 2026 → July 15, 2026 | 13 | 11 | 1 |
| 2026-06-24 | May 22, 2026 → June 23, 2026 | 12 | 8 | 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-539 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-129 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-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