N-400 naturalization processing times remain among the fastest since 2016
USCIS's May 2026 processing-time data shows naturalization continuing as one of the fastest-moving form types: a national median of roughly 5.5 months and a 93rd-percentile band in the 10–14 month range — the lowest sustained levels since 2016.
Sourcing and corrections follow our editorial standards.
USCIS's processing-time refresh for May 2026 shows N-400 (Application for Naturalization) continuing the multi-year trend of meaningfully shorter times. The national median sits near 5.5 months and the 93rd-percentile band runs about 10–14 months depending on the field office.
This is a notable change from the 2021–2023 era, when N-400 medians frequently exceeded 12 months. Several factors are credited: the agency's 2024–2025 staffing and electronic-filing investments, broader use of online filing, and the residual reduction of pandemic-era backlogs at field offices.
Filers should still expect office-to-office variability — the median is a national figure, and a specific field office can sit well above or below it.
Why it matters here
If you're tracking an N-400, the CasePredictor ETA calculator will show this trend directly: the trend-line in the Trend & Context section will read 'faster' for naturalization across most field offices. The dashboard's form-comparison view also makes the gap between N-400 and other employment-based forms easier to see at a glance.
Sources & further reading
Official government sources are marked. We do not republish full articles - follow these links for the complete announcement and primary text.
Related news
June 15, 2026
USCIS adjudication pace slowed sharply in 2026; cases pending over six months near 5.4 million
April 1, 2026
USCIS now reports certain processing times under "SCOPS" instead of named service centers
June 8, 2026
Court vacates the $100,000 H-1B fee — but a stay keeps it in effect pending appeal