USCIS Reports Over 1.4 Million Pending Work Permits

As of June 30, 2026, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reported that over 1.4 million initial work permit applications were pending, according to their Q3 Fiscal Year 2026 report on Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization.

This figure includes 1,432,182 pending initial applications and 699,850 renewal applications, totaling over 2.1 million pending cases. Specifically, 42,755 of the initial applications were from the asylum-based (c)(8) category, making up about 3% of all pending initial filings.

For renewals, the (c)(8) category accounted for 61,729 cases, or approximately 8.8% of the renewal backlog. The I-765 form is utilized by non-citizens to apply for legal work authorization, impacting their ability to work while immigration cases are active.

Advocacy groups have criticized USCIS for the prolonged processing times, which leave vulnerable populations, especially asylum seekers, unable to support themselves legally during lengthy immigration proceedings. The data was published in July 2026 as part of USCIS's commitment to transparency.