The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services rejected 35,767 employment authorization applications submitted by foreign nationals seeking permanent residency between April and June 2026, pushing the denial rate to approximately 44 percent. The data covers the third quarter of the United States government's fiscal year 2026. This rejection rate marks a sharp rise from the roughly 25 percent denial rate recorded during the first two quarters of the fiscal year, pointing to mounting difficulties for foreign nationals trying to secure employment authorization while their Green Card petitions stay pending.
During this three-month window, USCIS received 153,039 applications through Form I-765 for employment authorization under the adjustment of status category. Out of those filings, the agency approved 46,405 requests and denied 35,767. Form I-765 allows eligible foreign nationals to secure an Employment Authorization Document to work legally in the United States while immigration processing continues. Pending applications waiting for Form I-765 approval through the adjustment route reached 671,362, with an average processing wait time of 6.4 months.
Other immigration categories also experienced significant denial levels during the quarter. Form I-129 petitions for temporary foreign workers, including H-1B visa applicants, recorded 39,560 denials against 143,748 approvals, reflecting a denial rate of about 22 percent. Family-based immigration petitions filed via Form I-130 faced 16,661 denials, accounting for roughly 17 percent of decisions. Meanwhile, employment-based immigrant worker petitions submitted on Form I-140 had 7,069 denials and 37,975 approvals, resulting in a denial rate near 16 percent. Employment-based Green Card applications filed on Form I-485 fared better, maintaining a stable denial rate of about 7 percent.
Naturalization applications similarly faced tougher outcomes during the quarter. USCIS processed 140,179 citizenship applications using Form N-400, approving 54,974 while rejecting 12,591. That brought the rejection rate up to roughly 19 percent, compared to 13 percent in the preceding two quarters. Naturalization applications pending review rose to 727,371, with an average wait time of 9.5 months for a decision.
These changes arrive alongside broader shifts in American immigration policy affecting international employees, foreign students, and permanent residency seekers. The administration is pursuing measures that could raise expenses across the immigration system. USCIS scheduled fee adjustments for asylum petitions, work permits, and Temporary Protected Status to account for annual inflation. Furthermore, the Department of Homeland Security introduced a proposal requiring universities to pay a 70,000-dollar fee when recommending international students for Optional Practical Training, alongside a 30,000-dollar charge for extensions, which could significantly increase financial burdens for international students and academic institutions.