How long is I-140 taking right now?
Each form has a published range for every office, and where yours is handled can change it by months.
I-140 · Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers
I-140: fee, documents and who can fileChecked automatically
USCIS posts
3 to 6.5 months
Advanced degree or exceptional ability (E21)
USCIS approval rates · I-140 · Q2 2026 (Apr–Jun)
84.3%
I-140 approval rate
203K
I-140 cases pending
Across every I-140 USCIS decided in the quarter, not a prediction for any one case.
See all approval ratesI-140 by category - fastest first
Pick one to see its dates above.
- Advanced degree or exceptional ability (E21)3–6.5 mo
- Skilled worker or professional (E31; E32)4–8 mo
- Unskilled worker (EW3)9–15 mo
- Outstanding professor or researcher (E12)15–18.5 mo
- Schedule A Nurses25.5–26.5 mo2.1–2.2 yrs
- Multinational executive or manager (E13)27.5–29.5 mo2.3–2.5 yrs
Form I-140 at a glance
Of the 8 categories USCIS lists for Form I-140, the shortest posted time is 3 to 6.5 months, for Advanced degree or exceptional ability (E21); the longest is 32.5 to 35.5 months (2.7 to 3 years), for Extraordinary ability (E11).
The last change ImmigraMate recorded to the posted range for I-140 at Advanced degree or exceptional ability (E21) was on September 17, 2026. It now reads 3 to 6.5 months.
I-140 is the Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers. I-140: fee, documents and who can file
Forms decided centrally, at the National Benefits Center or Service Center Operations. Here the category of work is what changes the answer, not the office.
USCIS publishes the time by which 80% and 93% of cases were completed. Confirm on USCIS's processing times page.
Questions about I-140 processing times
How long is Form I-140 taking right now?
For Advanced degree or exceptional ability (E21), USCIS currently posts 3 to 6.5 months on Form I-140. These are the figures USCIS published in October 2026. Of the 8 categories USCIS lists for Form I-140, the shortest posted time is 3 to 6.5 months, for Advanced degree or exceptional ability (E21); the longest is 32.5 to 35.5 months (2.7 to 3 years), for Extraordinary ability (E11).
How much does Form I-140 cost?
The USCIS filing fee for Form I-140 is $715.
I-140: fee, documents and who can fileWhat if my I-140 is taking longer than the posted time?
Once your case is older than the upper end of the posted range, 6.5 months for Advanced degree or exceptional ability (E21), USCIS accepts a case inquiry about it as outside normal processing times. Check your case status first: a recent update may already answer the question.
What each case status meansIf a case inquiry does not move it, you can ask your member of Congress to contact USCIS about the case for you.
How a congressional inquiry works