I-485 final-stage median climbs 19 days since June as center routing gap widens to 238 days
The national median reached 61 days the week of August 17, up from a June low of 42 days. IOE carries the upward momentum while WAC and LIN post medians that dwarf the electronic-filing pipeline.
The I-485 final-stage median came in at 61 days the week of August 17, 2026, up 2 days from the prior week and 19 days above June's low of 42 days. The year-over-year picture is nearly flat: the same week in 2025 produced a 62-day reading across 10,200 approved cases. Beneath the headline, center routing produces a spread the data's own anomaly flag calls out: cases processed at WAC (the California Service Center) posted a 295-day median this week while IOE (electronically filed cases) posted 57 days, a gap of 238 days for the same form filed the same week.
- The national I-485 final-stage median rose to 61 days the week of August 17, up 19 days from the June low of 42 days, based on 8,224 approved cases.
- IOE handled 7,621 of those 8,224 cases (93%) with an 8-week slope of +1.4 days per week at R²=0.85, the strongest and most statistically confident trend among all centers.
- The uneven_centers anomaly flag fired at 305.49, with WAC's median at 295 days (n=76) versus IOE's 57 days (n=7,621), a gap of 238 days.
- An RFE (Request for Evidence) anomaly flag also fired: RFE-response cases cleared in a median of 27 days this week, faster than the 58-day median for cases with no RFE.
- If the current slope continues, the 4-week forecast puts the national median at ~58 to 67 days the week of August 24, rising to ~63 to 71 days by September 14.
A slow climb, now 19 days above the June floor
The I-485 final-stage median came in at 61 days for the week of August 17, 2026, up 2 days from last week's 59-day reading and 19 days above the June low of 42 days. The arc is real: the median has risen in five of the last six weeks, moving from 42 days in late June to 53 days in early July and now to 61 days in mid-August. The sample of 8,224 approved cases gives this week's reading meaningful statistical weight. Against the same week last year, the picture is nearly flat: the 2025 reading was 62 days across 10,200 cases, a difference of just 1 day.
IOE carries the rising trend, and its slope shows no sign of flattening
IOE, which handles electronically filed cases, accounted for 7,621 of the 8,224 cases approved this week, or 93% of the national total. Its 8-week slope is +1.4 days per week with an R² of 0.85, the strongest and most statistically confident trend among all centers in the data. Because IOE so thoroughly dominates the approved-case count, the national median closely tracks IOE's own trajectory. If IOE's pace does not level off, the national median will continue to climb.
The other centers offer a different picture. The National Benefits Center (MSC) shows a slope of -1.9 days per week, though its R² is just 0.01, meaning the trend is essentially noise across its 306 approved cases this week. The Texas Service Center (SRC) shows a slope near zero (-0.3 d/wk, R²=0.00) across 118 cases. These centers are smaller and less influential on the national number, and their relative stability means the national rise is not uniform across the I-485 pipeline. The IOE rise may reflect a mix of routing changes, filing-volume shifts, or adjudicator workload, and the data does not resolve which.
Where you filed may matter as much as what you filed
The uneven_centers anomaly flag fired this week at a value of 305.49, its threshold reflecting the spread between center medians. WAC (the California Service Center) posted a median of 295 days this week across 76 approved cases. The Nebraska Service Center (LIN) posted 198 days across 103 cases. IOE, which handles the bulk of the national volume, sat at 57 days. The gap between WAC and IOE is 238 days for the same form. The small samples at WAC (76 cases) and LIN (103 cases) introduce week-to-week variance, so these readings are directionally significant rather than precise benchmarks. WAC's 8-week slope is -47.4 days per week, but with R²=0.65 and only 76 cases this week, that number is volatile.
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