- USCIS figures for April to June 2026 showed that more than 12,000 family-based green card applications were denied in a single quarter
- The released denial rate for family-based I-485 applications stood at around 18% of all decided cases during the period
- A backlog of over 611,000 pending family-based green card applications remained unresolved at the end of the quarter
New data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) shows that 12,240 family-based applications to adjust immigration status to permanent residence were denied between April 1 and June 30, 2026, the third quarter of fiscal year 2026.
The figures come from the USCIS quarterly report on Form I-485 — Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, which tracks applications by category, case status, and processing location.
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US Green Card: Family-based applications face high denial rate
During the quarter, USCIS received 95,175 new family-based I-485 applications and approved 54,678. With 12,240 denied, the denial rate worked out to roughly 18.3% of all decided cases, meaning nearly one in five resolved applications was rejected.
The number of cases still pending at the close of the quarter reached 611,067, pointing to a significant processing backlog with no immediate resolution in sight.
When compared with employment-based applications in the same period, the contrast is notable. Employment-based green card applicants generally recorded a lower denial rate, reflecting the more structured documentation requirements that come with employer sponsorship.
Family-based applicants, by contrast, often navigate the process without legal support and are more likely to face issues related to incomplete documentation, eligibility gaps, or grounds of inadmissibility.
US Green Card: What the numbers mean
The 12,240 denials in just three months translate to roughly 136 rejections per day on average across the quarter. For Nigerian and other African applicants pursuing family reunification routes to the United States, the data underscores the difficulty of securing a green card through family ties alone, even when a qualifying relationship exists.
Common reasons for I-485 denials include failure to establish continuous lawful presence, criminal history, failure to appear for a biometrics appointment, and missing or insufficient supporting documents.
Applicants who are denied retain the right to appeal or, in some cases, refile, though doing so adds time and cost to what is already a lengthy process.
The combined total of approvals and denials for the quarter stood at 66,918, meaning the 611,067 pending cases dwarfed the number of applications actually resolved during the period, by a ratio of more than nine to one.
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that the US had rejected over 12,000 citizenship applications in three months.
US has over 1 million pending work permit applications
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the US had released data which showed that it has over a million pending work permit applications.
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.
The data covers all eligibility categories, including a separate breakdown for pending asylum applicants under the (c)(8) category.
Source: Legit.ng