I-829 Processing Time in 2026: Removing Conditions

I-829 is the slowest US immigration form. USCIS adjudicates I-829s in the order received, and the queue runs 2-3 years for many service centers. The good news: your conditional GC automatically extends — the wait doesn't affect your legal status.

• •Typical adjudication time: 18-36+ months from filing. Some service centers run faster, some slower.
• •Status during wait: conditional green card automatically extends. USCIS issues a receipt notice (I-797) that, combined with the conditional GC, evidences continuous status. Travel, work, and citizenship counting all continue.
• •Why it's slow: I-829 requires USCIS to verify job creation, sustained investment, and the at-risk requirement across multiple investors per project. It's labor-intensive.
• •Project failure risk: if the project fails to create the 10 jobs per investor in the I-829 adjudication, USCIS may deny — even if the investor's own filing is clean. Vet jobs-per-investor margin at the I-526E stage.
• •Family included: spouse and CSPA-protected children file under the principal investor's I-829. Single adjudication for the whole family.
• •Citizenship counting: 5 years from conditional GC issuance (not from I-829 approval) is the standard timeline for naturalization eligibility. The I-829 delay doesn't push citizenship out.

Plan for a 2-3 year I-829 wait. The legal cushion (automatic extension) means you're fully able to work, travel, and live in the US during the wait — but a clean project with strong job creation margin is the structural protection against an unfavorable I-829 decision.