Are USCIS Processing Times About To DOUBLE?!

If you're in the middle of an immigration case or even thinking about filing one, this may change everything. USCIS just told 20,000 employees to retire early or risk being laid off. And if even a fraction of them end up leaving USCIS, processing times could more than double, just like they did in 2020. And the scariest part? This is not even about money.

So what's really happening inside the USCIS and how bad could the delays get? I'll explain what's going on and most importantly, what you can do if your case is at risk. So stay tuned because the second half of the video can keep you from having to wait years on end!

What is Happening at USCIS?

Okay, so what is happening behind the scenes at USCIS and why should you be worried? The government is calling this a "reduction in force". This is just a formal way of saying that they're about to shrink the agency.

The last time we saw something like this was back in 2020 underneath the first Trump administration, and it caused a major delay in processing time. At the time, the Trump administration spent all of the USCIS emergency funds.

So when COVID hit and fewer persons were applying for immigration benefits, the agency suddenly could not afford to pay everyone's salary. As a result: they froze hiring, more than 1,000 immigration officers left without being replaced, and processing times doubled. The backlog of immigration cases went from 5 million to almost 9 million, and it did not start to improve until Congress passed emergency funding for USCIS to rebuild.

By 2023, they had brought on thousands of new employees and began cutting through the backlog. Green card renewals that once dragged on for eight months were now being approved in just a few weeks, and the agency was finally catching up. But now Trump is trying to undo all of that progress. Instead of continuing to rebuild, USCIS is being told to cut off its agents again.

The exact number of layoffs is not confirmed, but if 20,000 people were notified, it means that USCIS is planning to cut more than just a few jobs. And here's what makes this even more suspicious, because this is not about money! Because USCIS does not rely on taxpayer dollars. It is funded almost exclusively by application fees. That's why they have been able to hire back so many officers since the pandemic.

So if the money is there, why start cutting again? We don't have a clear answer... but we can probably guess why.

Many people in the immigration space, including former USCIS officials and some current employees, believe this might be Trump's way of trying to sabotage the agency. Some worry that he is quietly trying to push out experienced officers so he can bring in new ones who will follow his orders. Others think that this might be his way of significantly reducing legal immigration.

We can't say for sure what's behind the scenes, but can only take a guess. We do know this: When experienced officers leave, cases take longer. When staffing drops, processing times go up. And even when replacements are hired, it can take more than a year before they're properly trained in order to handle cases on their own.

So if this reduction goes forward, there's a real chance we'll see another major slowdown, one that could last a long time and affect every single immigrant.

So now that you know what may be to come, what should you do?

What Should You Do?

First, if you're planning on filing a green card renewal, a work permit, advanced parole, or any other immigration benefit—don't wait. File as early as you can! Because if USCIS loses staff and processing slows down, your place in line becomes even more important. And this is why you should double check everything before you file your application. If your case gets kicked back because of a simple mistake, you don't just lose time, but you'll also lose your place in line until you can file again.

Next, make sure you keep copies of everything that you submit. This means your forms, your supporting documentation, any affidavits, your payment receipts, all of it. If you're mailing in your application, use certified mail or mail with tracking. If you're filing online, save a screenshot of the confirmation page. And keep every email they send you. Why is this important?

Because if the system slows down, or if your case gets delayed or misplaced, having proof of filing can help prevent a bigger headache down the road.

Finally, for some of you, a delay can be more than just frustrating, it may even create a legal issue. If your work permit is about to expire and you do not automatically qualify for an extension, if your child is turning 21 and could age out, if you're changing jobs on a visa and need your approval fast, these are the kinds of situations that may cause a legal issue for you. So if any of these sound like your case, don't hesitate to talk to a lawyer to see what you can do.

My name is Moumita Rahman and I have been practicing immigration law for 15 years. We have helped hundreds of immigrants get legal status during the first Trump administration, and we are not giving up this time around either. If you would like our help on your case, give us a call for a case evaluation at 212-248-7907. We are based in New York City and we serve clients all over the US.

Hiring staff is not the only thing that Trump is trying to do to sabotage illegal immigration in the US. During his first term, his changes to USCIS policies and guidelines caused the delays to spike by nearly 50% and every single one of these changes are making a comeback. I explain each of them in my other video, Trump's New USCIS Policies. Prepare for these major changes now. So click to watch the next video and I'll see you there.