US Visa Backlogs Surge 176% as Foreign Workers Face Growing Delays
- An American Immigration Council analysis found pending H-1B petitions nearly doubled in a single fiscal year, from 66,894 to 124,638
- The surge is part of a broader 175.6% rise in pending Form I-129 petitions recorded between the second quarter of FY2023 and the fourth quarter of FY2025
- Spouses of H-1B workers seeking employment authorisation faced waits of up to 16.5 months when applications were filed separately
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Washington, USA - The United States immigration system is struggling to process visa petitions for highly skilled foreign workers at the pace companies need, with pending H-1B applications nearly doubling in a single fiscal year, according to new data.
An American Immigration Council analysis published on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, found that pending Form I-129 petitions rose 175.6% between FY2023 Q2 and FY2025 Q4, based on USCIS data. The form covers temporary work visas including H-1B, L-1A, L-1B and O visas.
Source: Twitter
H-1B visa backlog surges 86 per cent
Among the major high-skilled nonimmigrant visa categories, the H-1B saw the sharpest increase in FY2025. Pending petitions rose from 66,894 to 124,638 during the year, a jump of nearly 86%. Total H-1B filings reached 456,724 in FY2025, up 14.5% from FY2016, reflecting continued and growing demand from technology companies and other employers for specialised foreign talent.
Demand for O visas, issued to individuals with extraordinary ability in fields such as science, arts, education, business and athletics, also climbed, with filings rising 68.6% to 9,086 in the fourth quarter of FY2025.
The analysis found that USCIS efficiency ratios for several visa categories dropped below 1.0 in recent years. A ratio below 1.0 means the agency processed fewer petitions than it received in a given period, causing cases to pile up. Backlog clearance times also lengthened across multiple categories in FY2025.
US visa approvals recover amid delays
Despite the processing strain, approval rates have recovered from lows recorded during the first Trump administration, when H-1B approvals fell from 92.2% in the first quarter of FY2017 to 75.4% in the first quarter of FY2019. The rate later climbed above 95% and held there from the third quarter of FY2020 through the fourth quarter of FY2025. Across the decade, USCIS approved an average of 452,566 high-skilled nonimmigrant visa petitions each year.
The delays extend beyond workers themselves. H-4 spouses applying for employment authorisation at the same time as their H-4 petition waited an average of 6.5 months, but that figure rose to 16.5 months when the employment authorisation application was filed separately. L-2 spouses faced the same average wait of 16.5 months. These delays can shut qualified workers out of the US labour market, affecting household finances and leaving employers short of staff.
Source: Getty Images
L-1B petitions, used for specialised knowledge employees, recorded higher rates of requests for evidence and lower approval rates than other categories, though petitions that did receive such requests were increasingly likely to be approved eventually.
Foreign-born workers made up 23.6% of the US STEM workforce in 2023, making the efficiency of visa processing a matter of economic significance. The American Immigration Council concluded that the country's ability to attract global talent now depends heavily on USCIS resolving its growing processing challenges.
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US identifies 3 visa services hit
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the US authorities announced changes to routine visa services in Nigeria and several other African countries as part of a broader realignment of its visa operations to regional hubs.
The US Mission in Nigeria disclosed this in a visa services update posted on its verified X account, stating that routine visa operations in Abuja were among those affected by the new arrangement.
The development affects applicants seeking nonimmigrant visas, including those travelling to the United States for tourism, business and other temporary purposes.
Source: Legit.ng
