Pending I-485 applications across EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 by country and priority date year, translated into plain language for self-petitioners tracking their place in the queue.
Your priority date is when your I-140 was filed. Find your country of birth, your category, and your filing year to see how many people are ahead of you.
Use country of birth, not citizenship. India, China, Mexico, and Philippines have separate annual caps.
EB-1 = extraordinary ability. EB-2 = advanced degree / NIW. EB-3 = skilled and other workers.
Match your I-140 filing year to see how many pending cases share your priority date vintage.
"Available" can be approved now. "Awaiting Availability" is filed but not yet current.
Total pending available I-485 applications across all countries.
Explore how pending cases distribute across priority date vintages.
ROW EB-1 concentrates in 2025 (15,737) and 2024 (7,542). India EB-1 sits in 2022 (7,344) and 2023 (1,981). EB-1A is the only path that bypasses the EB-2 backlog for India-born applicants.
2024 is now the peak vintage at 17,660 cases, overtaking 2023 (10,344). ROW dates remain broadly current, but processing time is the real variable.
The 2015 cohort has largely cleared. 2013 and 2014 now carry the backlog, over 11,400 cases in 2014 alone still awaiting availability. EB-1A qualification should be evaluated before any EB-2 filing.
If your I-485 has been pending 180+ days, you can change employers under AC21 while keeping your priority date. For India EB-2 filers, that date is your most valuable asset.
2023 is the active queue (1,244 available), but 2024 has moved entirely to awaiting availability, a clear retrogression signal worth monitoring.
Manageable queues concentrated in 2024 to 2025. EB-3 is more congested in both countries than EB-1 or EB-2.
Filter by country, category, and status for the raw figures.
| Month | Prior | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | Total |
|---|
"D" indicates suppressed data, fewer than 10 cases. Dash indicates zero.
The only category with a dedicated USCIS sheet going back to 2006.
India EB-2 receives the same per-country cap as every other country but generates far more petitions. No amount of petition strength overcomes a per-country cap. The 2014 cohort is now the largest active backlog.
The immigrant petition that establishes your EB-1, EB-2, or EB-3 eligibility and sets your priority date.
The actual green card application, filed once your priority date is current. This report tracks I-485 inventory specifically.
When your I-140 was filed. Determines your position in the queue.
Priority date is current, USCIS can approve now.
Filed but priority date not yet current.
Change employers after 180 days pending, keep your priority date.
Extraordinary ability self-petition, no employer sponsor or labor certification required.
National Interest Waiver, a self-petition path within EB-2 with no job offer required.