The U.S. immigration backlog has reached an unprecedented crisis, with over 11 million active cases pending at agencies like USCIS and nearly 3.5 million cases in immigration court as of mid-2025 [1][2][3].
This backlog refers to the excess of pending applications for visas, asylum, green cards, work permits, and other immigration benefits that have waited longer than six months without a decision [4][5].
Altogether, the backlog is both broader and deeper than at any point in U.S. immigration history, affecting nearly all applicants and contributing to huge delays, legal uncertainty, and hardship for millions[2][6][7].