The backlog of pending citizenship applications (Form N-400) at USCIS exceeded 727,000 at the end of the third quarter of fiscal year 2026. During the three months from April to June, about 146,000 new applications came in, while only 70,500 were completed. Applications are arriving at twice the pace at which they are being processed. The median processing time has grown to 9.5 months, and it takes 9 to 18 months, depending on the field office, for 80% of applications to be completed. For those hoping to become citizens before the November election, it is already too late.
The wait to hear about a citizenship interview after filing has grown noticeably longer. The reason is in the numbers: the pile of citizenship applications at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has topped 727,000.
Applications Arriving at Twice the Pace of Processing
According to data released by USCIS for the third quarter of fiscal year 2026 (April to June), about 146,000 citizenship applications (Form N-400) were received over the three months. In the same period, just over 70,500 cases were completed. For every two applications that come in, one goes out, so the backlog has no chance of shrinking. At the end of the quarter, the number of pending cases exceeded 727,000.
The wait has also gotten longer. The median processing time for general applications, excluding military service members, is 9.5 months. That means half are completed faster and half take longer. The time it takes for 80% of applications to be completed ranges from 9 to 18 months, depending on the field office. According to an immigration law website's tally, the New York City office is at around 8 months.
Why Things Have Slowed
Review itself has become more demanding since last year. In August 2025, USCIS issued guidance telling officers to assess the "good moral character" requirement holistically, looking not only at criminal history but also at tax payment, support of family and community contributions, and it revived neighborhood investigations that had long gone unused. For applications filed on or after Oct. 20 last year, a new 128-question citizenship test applies, and applicants must answer 12 of 20 questions correctly. The time an officer spends on each case has grown, while staffing has not increased to match.
Reasons for delay on the applicant's side also come up repeatedly. Immigration attorneys point to three: tax problems, failure to disclose arrests or violations, and incomplete travel records. If there is a year in which taxes were not filed, or back taxes are owed, USCIS halts review until the issue is resolved. Even for something as minor as a traffic violation, leaving it off the application can bring a request for evidence (RFE) that adds several more months.
Too Late for the November Election
This is disappointing news for those who rushed to obtain citizenship in order to vote in this year's election. The voter registration deadline is Oct. 24 in New York and Oct. 13 in New Jersey. If you have not received a notice for your oath ceremony by now, you should assume that the Nov. 3 election is out of reach. Voter registration is often offered on the spot at oath ceremonies, so it is a good idea to fill out the registration form there for the next election.
If you are preparing to apply, you can save time by taking care of three things: gathering your tax returns for the past five years without any gaps, listing every record, even minor violations, and calculating your days spent abroad accurately using the entry and exit stamps in your passport and your airline ticket records. Filing online offers a slight advantage over paper filing, since it is easier to track processing and you can respond to a request for evidence right away.