Green Card Data
As of June 2025, 710,100 I-485 adjustment of status applications are pending — each one a person waiting for permanent residence. The total green card pipeline (including petitions and waivers) exceeds 1.6 million applications.
The Green Card Pipeline
| Form | Name | Pending |
|---|---|---|
| I-130 | Family Petition | 524,900 |
| I-140 | Employment Petition | 103,500 |
| I-485 | Adjustment of Status | 710,100 |
| I-751 | Remove Conditions | 168,500 |
| I-601A | Provisional Waiver | 67,500 |
| I-129F | Fiancé(e) Visa | 14,700 |
| Total Pipeline | 1,589,200 | |
How It Works
Getting a green card typically requires multiple steps, each with its own form, processing time, and backlog:
- Petition (I-130 or I-140): A U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or employer files a petition establishing the relationship or job offer.
- Wait for visa number: Certain categories have annual caps. Some waits exceed 20 years (e.g., siblings of U.S. citizens from the Philippines).
- Adjustment of status (I-485): Once a visa number is available, the immigrant files for permanent residence — either at a USCIS office in the U.S. or at a consulate abroad.
- Green card issued: If approved, the immigrant receives conditional (2-year) or unconditional (10-year) permanent residence.
The Court Connection
Green card applicants generally aren't in immigration court — they're in the USCIS administrative process. But the systems overlap: someone in removal proceedings can apply for adjustment of status as a form of relief, and a green card holder who commits certain crimes can be placed into removal proceedings.
The Visa Bulletin
The State Department publishes a monthly "Visa Bulletin" showing which priority dates are current for each category and country. For some family categories from high-demand countries (Mexico, Philippines, India), the wait can exceed 20 years. Employment-based EB-2 and EB-3 for Indian nationals currently face 10+ year waits.