EXPLAINER · EVERY RULE QUOTED FROM AN OFFICIAL SOURCE · CHECKED OCTOBER 23, 2026
I-140 receipt dates by category
The receipt date USCIS lists for a Form I-140 case inquiry in each category, what that date does and does not mean, and how it has moved. Recorded every week from the USCIS processing times page.
What the receipt date means
The date USCIS lists next to each I-140 category is the receipt date for a case inquiry. USCIS calculates it from the time it took to finish 93% of cases, minus how long a case has already been waiting.[1]
So the date is a cut-off for asking about a case, not the receipt date of the cases USCIS is deciding now. If the result of the calculation is negative, a question about the case can be submitted.[2]
Because the formula counts back from today, the listed date moves forward every day even when nothing changes at USCIS. What shows a real change is the date moving faster or slower than the calendar, which means the 93% time itself went down or up. The table above measures exactly that.[1]
The published processing time range is a different number: how long it took to finish 80% of cases over the last six months.[3]
Premium processing for I-140
Form I-140 can be filed with premium processing for a fee.[4]
USCIS guarantees action within a set number of business days or refunds the premium fee. For most classifications that is 15 business days; for I-140 E13 (multinational executive or manager) and E21 national interest waiver it is 45 business days.[5][6]
A request for evidence stops that clock, and a new period starts when USCIS gets the response.[7]
This page explains general rules in plain English. It is not legal advice and does not tell you what applies to your case.
Each numbered source below is the official page the sentence comes from; read it before relying on anything here.
“Premium processing provides expedited processing for the following forms: Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker; Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers; Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization; and Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status.”
“we guarantee that we will take adjudicative action on the case within the time periods described below, or we will refund the premium processing fee: 15 business days for most classifications”
“If the petition or application requires the submission of additional evidence or a response to a notice of intent to deny, the 15-, 30-, or 45-day premium processing time period will stop and reset.”