U.S. immigration backlog

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is dealing with an enormous backlog of U.S. immigration applications and petitions. It is now expected that the processing time for applications will take longer than usual through 2010. An average processing time of seven months for citizenship may increase up to 18 months, and adjustment of status applications for family-based immigration may increase from six-months to about one year.