AAO Processing Times
The AAO reports its processing times by form type, displaying the total number of completions for the quarter and the percentage completed within 180 days, which is our goal.
The administrative appeals process has two stages: initial field review and AAO appellate review.
Initial field review: The office that issued the unfavorable decision has 45 days to evaluate the appeal and determine whether to take favorable action on the appeal. If that office does not take favorable action, it will forward the appeal to the AAO and send the appellant a Notice of Transfer to the AAO.
AAO appellate review: The AAO strives to complete its appellate review within 180 days from the time it receives a complete case record after the initial field review. Some cases may take longer than 180 days due to factors beyond the AAO’s control. For example, additional documentation may be needed to complete the record, or the case may be more complex and require additional review.
The following chart shows the percentage of cases the AAO completed within 180 days, by case category, during the most recent quarter of the fiscal year. These data include all AAO dispositions for the listed form types. If a case category is not listed, the AAO issued no appeal decisions for that category in the most recent quarter.
** The AAO experienced an unexpected surge of appeal filings in 2019, resulting in a number of processing delays outside of the 180 day completion goal.
Timeliness of Fiscal Year 2020 Third Quarter Completions (April - June 2020)
| Form Type | Case Type | Completed 0-180 Days | Quarterly Completions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumulative total of all completions | 35.22% | 1431 | |
| I-129CW | CNMI-Only Nonimmigrant Transitional Worker | 100% | 3 |
| I-129E2 | CNMI Treaty Investor | 100% | 1 |
| I-129F | Petition for Fiancée | 78.57% | 14 |
| I-129H1B | Nonimmigrant Specialty Occupation Worker | 46.56% | 363 |
| I-129HA | Temporary Agricultural Worker | 100% | 1 |
| I-129L | Nonimmigrant Intracompany Transferee | 29.27% | 41 |
| I-129O | Nonimmigrant Extraordinary Ability Worker | 25% | 4 |
| I-129P | Athletes, Artists and Entertainers | 16.67% | 6 |
| I-129R | Nonimmigrant Religious Worker | 36.36% | 11 |
| I-131 | Application for Travel Document | 50% | 14 |
| I-140A | Alien with Extraordinary Ability | 8.62% | 116 |
| I-140B | Outstanding Professor | 0% | 6 |
| I-140C | Multinational Manager or Executive | 26.09% | 23 |
| I-140D | Advanced Degree Professional | 38.46% | 21 |
| I-140E | Professional Worker | 50% | 24 |
| I-140F | Skilled Worker | 38.89% | 18 |
| I-140G | Other Worker | 50% | 4 |
| I-140I | National Interest Waiver | 30% | 10 |
| I-212 | Application to Reapply for Admission | 14.93% | 67 |
| I-352 | Bond Breach | 54.35% | 46 |
| I-360C | Special Immigrant Juvenile | 17.86% | 168 |
| I-360D | Petition for Religious Worker | 7.69% | 13 |
| I-360 VAWA | Violence Against Women Act Petition | 32% | 25 |
| I-485 SEC 13 | Cuban Adjustment Act | 66.67% | 21 |
| I-485U | U Visa Nonimmigrant Adjustment | 43.75% | 48 |
| I-526 | Alien Entrepreneur | 23.81% | 21 |
| I-600 | Petition for Orphan | 100% | 3 |
| I-601 | Application for Waiver of Inadmissibility | 27.98% | 168 |
| I-612 | Application of 212(e) Waiver | 20% | 5 |
| I-687 | Application for Temporary Resident Status Under Section 245A | 50% | 2 |
| I-698 | Application to Adjust Status from Temporary to Permanent Resident Under Section 245A | 100% | 1 |
| I-821 | Temporary Protected Status | 44.12% | 34 |
| I-914 | Application for T Nonimmigrant Status | 41.18% | 17 |
| I-918 | Petition for U Nonimmigrant Status | 58.82% | 34 |
| I-924 | Application for Regional Center Designation | 100% | 1 |
| I-924 Denial | Denial of Regional Center Designation | 100% | 1 |
| I-924 Termination | Termination of Regional Center Designation | 0% | 2 |
| I-929 | Petition for Qualifying Family Member of a U-1 Recipient | 50% | 2 |
| N-565 | Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document | 45.45% | 11 |
| N-600 | Certificate of Citizenship | 41.38% | 58 |