Pending I-485 FAQ

What is I-485 inventory?

In September, 2009, USCIS started publishing the total number of pending I-485 (green card) applications, grouped by country, preference, and priority date. This inventory provides valuable data, because for the first time, an applicant is able to know exactly how many people are still waiting ahead of him/her for a green card. So if you are waiting for an immigrant visa, you now have a pretty good idea of your place in line. The shorter the line, the closer you are to a green card.

How do I read the inventory tables?

First of all, you need to know your country of chargeability. This is usually your country of birth or origin. Then, find out your employment-based preference, such as EB-2, EB-3, etc. which is based on your approved Immigrant Petition. Finally, you will also need your priority date (PD), which is the date when you start your immigration process. This is normally the date you applied for labor certification. If LC is not required in your case, your PD is the date when I-140 was filed.

With the above information, located the table that contains data for your country and EB preference. Then add up all the numbers that have an earlier priority date than yours. This is the total number of applicants ahead of you. There is an example at the bottom of this page.

A much easier way is to use our Green Card Tracker. It automatically does the calculation based on the same information you provide. In addition, the tracker also displays the number of applications from previous inventories so you don't have to download all the data and calculate them one by one. A bar chart is automatically generated to show the progress over time.

How often does USCIS update the inventory?

USCIS has indicated that inventory data will be updated quarterly, and based on the release dates so far, it will probably be around March, June, September and December of each year.

Are dependent I-485 cases included in the inventory?

Yes, both principal and dependent I-485 applications are included in the inventory.

What cases are not included in the inventory?

The inventory contains all employment-based I-485 applications pending at service centers, including ones that are waiting for visas, as well as those that are current (visa numbers are available) but have not been completed. However, the inventory does not include the cases that are being processed by field offices. USCIS has indicated that the volume is relatively small, and their future releases may take into account those I-485 cases pending at field offices.

In addition, every year roughly 15% of the annual 140,000 employment-based visas are allocated to people outside the United States who are seeking consular processing. These cases are not included in the inventory either.

Why were there cases with late priority dates that were never current?

USCIS explained that it was caused by errors, and has fixed them in the second release (December, 2009). More specifically, certain I-485 cases have more than one I-140 applications associated with them, and USCIS accidentally picked the later priority dates. A number of cases were eligible for cross-chargeability but were not listed as such. And there were also data entry errors.

Why are there still cases pending since 1997?

The very old cases had early priority dates, but may have been filed in recent years. Sometimes an applicant may decide not to file an I-485 for several years while his priority date remains current.

Is there an I-485 inventory for family preferences?

Not at this time. However, USCIS has indicated in a blog post (May 3, 2010) that family-based I-485 inventory is being developed. We plan to creat a similar tracker as soon as USCIS releases the data.