Archive · 30 Sep 2026
USCIS Citizenship Backlog Reaches 742,138 Amid Slow Processing
USCIS is the government agency that reviews applications for people seeking U.S. citizenship.
From April through June 2026, it received nearly 146,000 new applications.
It finished about 70,500 cases during that period.
This means it decided about 48 cases for every 100 new applications received.
Because more applications came in than were finished, the waiting list grew to 742,138 cases.
Most of the pending cases were regular naturalization applications rather than military cases.
Houston had the largest number of waiting cases among the listed offices.
Military applications were generally processed faster than regular applications.
USCIS received 145,872 naturalization applications and completed 70,539 decisions in Q3 FY2026.
The total pending inventory reached 742,138 applications, including military naturalization cases.
Non-military N-400 applications accounted for 727,371 pending cases, with a median processing time of 9.5 months.
Houston had the largest backlog at 31,057 cases, followed by Dallas and Chicago.
Military naturalization had a shorter median processing time of 2.6 months, while denial rates varied widely among field offices.
- Who
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and applicants for U.S. citizenship, including military applicants.
- What
- USCIS reported 145,872 new naturalization applications, 70,539 decisions, and 742,138 pending cases in Q3 FY2026.
- When
- The reported quarter ran from April through June 2026; fiscal-year-to-date figures ran through June 30, 2026.
- Where
- The data covers USCIS operations across the United States, including field offices such as Houston, Dallas, Chicago, and others.
- Why
- The backlog remained large because applications received exceeded the number of cases completed.
- Quarter covered
- Q3 of fiscal year 2026, April-June 2026
- New applications
- 145,872 total N-400 applications received
- Total pending
- 742,138 cases, including military naturalization
- General naturalization pending
- 727,371 cases
- Total decisions
- 57,697 approvals and 12,842 denials, or 70,539 decisions
- Decision-to-receipt rate
- Approximately 48 decisions for every 100 applications received
- Median processing time
- 9.5 months for general naturalization and 2.6 months for military naturalization