How long H-1B petitions are actually taking, from real I-129 cases we tracked from receipt to decision in the last year. Updated every day.
Based on 138 I-129 petitions decided in the last 12 months, premium and regular processing combined. USCIS national median, FY2026 for I-129: 5.1 months (regular processing; premium processing cases are usually decided within weeks).
Enter the receipt number from your I-797 to see your current status, what it means and your estimated decision date.
Use the receipt number from your I-129 receipt notice. Free, no sign-up.
Want automatic updates? Get alerts on WhatsApp after you check.
With premium processing (Form I-907), USCIS commits to act on the petition within 15 business days. That's why so many H-1B petitions are decided within a month. Regular processing has no guaranteed timeline, and USCIS's published median runs to months. Premium processing speeds up the decision; it doesn't make an approval more likely.
Extensions, changes of employer and amendments are all filed on Form I-129, so they follow the same patterns. The status you see online moves through the same steps: received, actively reviewed, sometimes a Request for Evidence, then a decision. Follow yours with the H-1B extension tracker or the H-1B transfer tracker.
| Form | Half decided within | Source |
|---|---|---|
| I-140 immigrant petition | 4.9 months | 25 cases we tracked |
| I-485 green card | 5.0 months | 53 cases we tracked |
| I-130 family petition | 14.4 months | 242 cases we tracked |
| I-765 work permit (EAD) | 2.8 months | 65 cases we tracked |
| I-539 H-4 extension / change of status | 3.7 months | USCIS published median |
| I-129F K-1 fiancé(e) petition | 8.2 months | USCIS published median |
With premium processing, USCIS acts within 15 business days: an approval, a denial or a Request for Evidence. Without it, there's no guarantee; USCIS's published median for I-129 is a few months. The figures on this page come from real petitions we tracked to a decision, so they move as USCIS speeds up or slows down.
Many H-1B petitions are filed with premium processing, and those are decided within weeks. Our numbers include every I-129 we tracked, premium and regular. USCIS's median is for regular processing only. If your petition isn't premium, expect something closer to the USCIS figure.
An extension with the same employer is also filed on Form I-129, so the same times apply. You can generally keep working for the same employer for up to 240 days after your current H-1B expires while a timely-filed extension is pending; check the details with your employer or attorney.
Yes. The clock effectively pauses until USCIS receives the response, and a decision usually follows within weeks after that, or within 15 business days for premium cases.
Enter the receipt number from your I-797 notice above. It usually starts with WAC, EAC or IOE. You'll see the current status and what it means, and you can get a WhatsApp alert the moment it changes.