The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) denied 35,767 work permit applications from foreign nationals seeking Green Cards between April and June 2026, as the rejection rate climbed to 44%.
The figures, covering April to June 2026, represent the third quarter of the US government’s 2026 fiscal year, which runs from October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2026.
The denial rate rose to approximately 44% during the period, compared with about 25% recorded in the first two fiscal quarters combined, covering October 2025 to March 2026.
The development highlights growing challenges for foreign nationals seeking employment authorisation while awaiting decisions on their permanent residency applications.
Work permit denials reach 44%
USCIS received 153,039 Form I-765 applications under the Adjustment of Status category during the quarter, approving 46,405 and denying 35,767.
Form I-765 allows eligible foreign nationals to obtain an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), which permits them to work legally in the United States.
Pending applications in this category reached 671,362, with a median processing time of 6.4 months.
Form I-129, used for temporary foreign workers including H-1B applicants, recorded 39,560 denials against 143,748 approvals, pushing its rejection rate to approximately 22%.
Family-based immigration petitions filed through Form I-130 recorded 16,661 denials, representing about 17% of decisions.
Immigrant worker petitions under Form I-140 recorded 7,069 denials and 37,975 approvals, with a rejection rate of approximately 16%.
However, employment-based Green Card applications filed through Form I-485 maintained a relatively stable denial rate of 7%, despite increased rejection rates across other immigration categories.
Citizenship denial rate hits 19%
The figures also showed a rise in citizenship application denials during the period. USCIS received 140,179 Form N-400 naturalisation applications, approving 54,974 and rejecting 12,591.
This pushed the citizenship rejection rate to approximately 19%, compared with 13% during the preceding two quarters.
Pending naturalisation applications reached 727,371, while the median processing time stood at 9.5 months.
US tighten greencard requirements
The rising rejection rates come amid broader changes to US immigration policies affecting foreign workers, international students and permanent residency applicants.
In August 2026, Nairametrics reported that the US government introduced stricter financial assessments for certain Green Card applicants, with immigration authorities considering factors such as income, assets, health and reliance on public benefits when determining eligibility.
The administration has also moved to increase immigration-related costs. Effective October 16, USCIS will implement higher fees for asylum applications, employment authorisation and Temporary Protected Status, as part of annual inflation adjustments.
More recently, the Department of Homeland Security proposed a $70,000 fee for universities recommending international students for Optional Practical Training (OPT), alongside a $30,000 fee for programme extensions.