USCIS Denies Over 35,000 Work Permits in Q3 2026

The Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) denied 35,767 work permit applications from foreign nationals seeking permanent residency between April and June 2026, leading to a denial rate of approximately 44%. This data pertains to the third quarter of the US government's 2026 fiscal year, which spans from October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2026.

The denial rate increased sharply from about 25% recorded in the first two quarters, which covered October 2025 to March 2026. During this quarter, USCIS received 153,039 applications under Form I-765 for employment authorization through the adjustment of status category, approving 46,405 applications.

The pending Form I-765 applications reached 671,362, with a median processing time of 6.4 months. Other immigration categories also saw significant denials, including Form I-129 for temporary foreign workers, which recorded 39,560 denials against 143,748 approvals, and Form I-130 for family-based immigration petitions, which had 16,661 denials.