- USCIS released its Q3 Fiscal Year 2026 data showing the total number of pending I-765 work permit applications in the US
- Over 1.4 million initial work permit applications were awaiting processing as of June 30, 2026, according to the official figures
- Pending asylum-based applications accounted for a significant share of the backlog, with nearly 43,000 initial cases logged
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released official data showing that more than 1.4 million initial work permit applications were pending as of June 30, 2026, raising fresh questions about processing capacity within the country's immigration system.
The figures come from the agency's Q3 Fiscal Year 2026 report on Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorisation, published by the USCIS Chief Data and Analytics Office.
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The data covers all eligibility categories, including a separate breakdown for pending asylum applicants under the (c)(8) category.
US work permit: Scale of the I-765 backlog
Across all eligibility categories, the total number of pending initial applications stood at 1,432,182, while renewal applications reached 699,850, bringing the combined pending caseload to more than 2.1 million.
Of the initial applications, 42,755 belonged specifically to the asylum-based (c)(8) category, representing roughly 3% of all pending initial filings.
For renewals, the (c)(8) pending asylum subcategory accounted for 61,729 cases out of 699,850 total renewal applications, or about 8.8% of the renewal backlog.
The I-765 form is used by non-citizens in the United States to apply for authorisation to work legally in the country.
Applicants range from students and asylum seekers to green card holders and recipients of humanitarian protections. Delays in processing directly affect whether individuals can legally take up or continue employment while their immigration cases are active.
US work permit: What the numbers reveal
The data shows that renewal applications under the (c)(8) category made up a proportionally larger share of their segment than initial applications did of theirs.
This gap suggests that a number of asylum applicants who had previously received work authorisation are waiting longer to have those permits renewed, a situation that can result in gaps in lawful employment eligibility.
USCIS has faced persistent criticism over processing times in recent years, with advocacy groups arguing that delays in work permit approvals leave vulnerable populations, particularly asylum seekers, unable to support themselves legally during lengthy immigration proceedings.
The Q3 2026 data was queried in July 2026 and published through the USCIS Data Library as part of the agency's ongoing commitment to immigration data transparency.
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that the US had rejected over 12,000 citizenship applications in three months.
US ends automatic extensions for certain expiring work permits
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the US had stopped automatic work permit extensions for certain foreign workers.
The rule, published by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), finalises an interim regulation that DHS first introduced on October 30, 2025.
Previously, foreign nationals in specific employment authorisation categories who had filed timely renewal applications could continue working legally while their new EAD was being processed.
Source: Legit.ng