USCIS Backlog Tops 11.3 Million in 2025—How to Keep Your Case Moving

Record queues, eight-month green-card replacement waits, and the smart moves that keep you out of limbo

By Michal

Staring at the USCIS case tracker every morning only to see the word “Pending”? Wondering if those tickets you bought to visit family abroad will go to waste because your green card renewal hasn’t cleared? You’re hardly alone. In the first half of 2025, USCIS accumulated the largest backlog in its history. Let’s unpack what’s going on.

The Backlog by the Numbers

USCIS finished the March 2025 quarter with 11.3 million pending applications and petitions, the highest figure ever recorded. That mountain grew while completions fell 18 percent year-over-year, dropping to 2.7 million decisions in the same span, according to data highlighted by Newsweek.

Put differently, for every case the agency wrapped up, nearly three more landed on its desk. The result is the longest wait times since the pandemic-era shutdowns—and this time, there’s no shutdown to blame.

How Did a Paperwork Avalanche Become a Logjam?

Several forces converged. Decades-old funding rules require USCIS to pay its bills with filing fees instead of tax dollars, leaving budgets squeezed every time volumes shift.Staff retirements started outpacing new hires just as filings rebounded post-COVID. At the same time, new security screening tools and shifting policy priorities added extra steps. Each alone might have been manageable. However, together, they formed a perfect storm that slowed approvals to a crawl.

The Green-Card Replacement Crunch

One of the hardest-hit forms is Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card. Median processing time soared from under a month in late 2024 to about 8.3 months in early 2025—a 938 percent spike.

Yes, correct! 938 percent!

A lost or expiring green card once meant a quick fix; now it can jeopardize a driver's license renewal, a mortgage closing, or a last-minute business trip. Yes, you can request an ADIT (I-551) stamp in your passport to prove your status, but that requires booking another USCIS appointment and often waiting weeks, if not months, to secure a slot.

The Human Cost: Real Stories From the Queue

Priya, a nurse from New Jersey, mailed her I-765 work-permit renewal six months before it expired—only to watch the old card lapse while she was still waiting. Her hospital scrambled to cover shifts, and she burned through savings before the approval finally arrived. Or Arturo, a long-time green-card holder in Dallas, whose wallet and card were stolen. Eight months later, his replacement is still pending, forcing him to postpone a trip to see his aging mother in Mexico. Multiply these stories by a few million, and you see why the backlog is more than just a statistic.

Five Practical Ways to Keep Your Case Moving

File clean, file early. Double-check every field, sign every page, and include every supporting document. Even tiny mistakes bounce your file into Request for Evidence (RFE) limbo, adding months.
Track your receipt like it’s your flight. Create a USCIS online account, enable text and email updates, and set calendar reminders to nudge you if there are no updates for 60 days.
Qualify before you expedite. Expedited requests are approved only for life-and-death or severe financial loss scenarios. Sending flimsy requests can slow things down.
Book that ADIT stamp proactively.If your green card is lost or within six months of expiring and you must travel or keep working, call USCIS and the local field office for stamp appointments the day you file the I-90.
Use smart tools like Immiva. Our platform walks you through forms in plain English, flags missing answers in real time, and pings you when USCIS asks for more evidence—so you stay ahead of deadlines instead of reacting after the fact.

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Conclusion

An 11-million-plus backlog and eight-month green-card replacement waits aren't problems any one applicant can solve. But you can protect yourself from avoidable delays. File accurately, stay vigilant, and lean on technology that makes government paperwork less painful. Immigration shouldn’t feel like rolling the dice; with a bit of foresight—and a little help from Immiva—you can tilt the odds firmly back in your favor.

A lost or expiring green card once meant a quick fix; now it can jeopardize a driver's license renewal, a mortgage closing, or a last-minute business trip. Yes, you can request an ADIT (I-551) stamp in your passport to prove status, but that means booking another USCIS appointment and often waiting weeks just for a slot.