N-400 Processing Times in October 2026: Wait Times at Every USCIS Office
How long does it take to become a U.S. citizen right now? According to the latest figures USCIS published on September 17, 2026, most Form N-400 applications are decided in about 9 to 18 months, depending on which USCIS field office handles your case. That is noticeably slower than a year ago: many offices are 3 to 8 months behind where they were in fall 2025.
How to read USCIS processing times
USCIS reports each field office's time as a range. The first number is how long the office took to finish 80% of its N-400 cases over the past six months. The second number is the point after which you can usually submit a case inquiry if you haven't heard back. Your own case may be faster or slower, and the numbers update about once a month.
The clock starts on the receipt date on your notice and runs until USCIS approves or denies the application. The oath ceremony can be the same day or several weeks later.
The big picture
- Fastest offices: Cranbury, NJ (9 to 12 months), San Juan, PR (9.5 to 11), Helena, MT (9.5 to 11.5), Montgomery, AL (9.5 to 12), Hialeah, FL (9.5 to 12.5) and Cincinnati, OH (9.5 to 13).
- Slowest offices: Lawrence, MA (18 to 20 months), Sacramento, CA (16 to 24), San Jose, CA (16 to 31.5), San Diego, CA (15.5 to 23), Fresno, CA (15.5 to 19.5) and Fort Myers, FL (15.5 to 19.5).
- Typical office: about 12 to 16 months.
- Big cities vary: New York City is 10 to 12.5 months and Los Angeles 10.5 to 14, while Chicago is 13 to 19.5 and San Francisco 14.5 to 22.5.
N-400 processing times by USCIS field office
Your field office is printed on your receipt notice and is usually the one closest to where you live. Times below are from USCIS, published September 17, 2026.
Alabama
- Montgomery: 9.5 to 12 months
Alaska
- Anchorage: 12.5 to 19 months
Arizona
- Phoenix: 12 to 13 months
- Tucson: 12 to 14 months
Arkansas
- Fort Smith: 11 to 13 months
California
- Fresno: 15.5 to 19.5 months
- Imperial: 14.5 to 18 months
- Los Angeles: 10.5 to 14 months
- Los Angeles County: 10.5 to 14 months
- Sacramento: 16 to 24 months
- San Bernardino: 13 to 17.5 months
- San Diego: 15.5 to 23 months
- San Fernando Valley: 13 to 15.5 months
- San Francisco: 14.5 to 22.5 months
- San Jose: 16 to 31.5 months
- Santa Ana: 14 to 17 months
Colorado
- Denver: 14 to 18 months
Connecticut
- Hartford: 11.5 to 14 months
District of Columbia
- Washington: 11.5 to 14.5 months
Florida
- Fort Myers: 15.5 to 19.5 months
- Hialeah: 9.5 to 12.5 months
- Jacksonville: 15 to 18 months
- Kendall: 10 to 13.5 months
- Miami: 10 to 15 months
- Oakland Park: 12.5 to 19 months
- Orlando: 13.5 to 19 months
- Tampa: 13.5 to 16.5 months
- West Palm Beach: 10 to 16.5 months
Georgia
- Atlanta: 13.5 to 17 months
Guam
- Agana: 13 to 18.5 months
Hawaii
- Honolulu: 12.5 to 16.5 months
Idaho
- Boise: 15 to 17.5 months
Illinois
- Chicago: 13 to 19.5 months
Indiana
- Indianapolis: 14 to 16.5 months
Iowa
- Des Moines: 13.5 to 16.5 months
Kansas
- Wichita: 13 to 18 months
Kentucky
- Louisville: 10.5 to 14.5 months
Louisiana
- New Orleans: 12.5 to 17 months
Maine
- Portland: 14.5 to 19 months
Maryland
- Baltimore: 15 to 20.5 months
Massachusetts
- Boston: 13.5 to 15.5 months
- Lawrence: 18 to 20 months
Michigan
- Detroit: 13 to 16.5 months
Minnesota
- Minneapolis-St. Paul: 14.5 to 20 months
Missouri
- Kansas City: 12.5 to 15 months
- Saint Louis: 12.5 to 14 months
Montana
- Helena: 9.5 to 11.5 months
Nebraska
- Omaha: 12.5 to 14.5 months
Nevada
- Las Vegas: 13 to 16 months
- Reno: 11.5 to 15 months
New Hampshire
- Manchester: 10.5 to 13.5 months
New Jersey
- Cranbury: 9 to 12 months
- Mount Laurel: 10 to 14.5 months
- Newark: 11.5 to 15.5 months
New Mexico
- Albuquerque: 13 to 17.5 months
New York
- Albany: 10 to 13 months
- Brooklyn: 11 to 15 months
- Buffalo: 14.5 to 17 months
- Long Island: 12 to 17 months
- New York City: 10 to 12.5 months
- Queens: 10.5 to 15.5 months
North Carolina
- Charlotte: 11 to 14.5 months
- Raleigh: 12 to 16 months
Ohio
- Cincinnati: 9.5 to 13 months
- Cleveland: 10.5 to 14.5 months
- Columbus: 10.5 to 14 months
Oklahoma
- Oklahoma City: 13 to 15.5 months
Oregon
- Portland: 14.5 to 17.5 months
Pennsylvania
- Philadelphia: 11.5 to 15 months
- Pittsburgh: 11.5 to 14.5 months
Puerto Rico
- San Juan: 9.5 to 11 months
Rhode Island
- Providence: 10 to 13 months
South Carolina
- Charleston: 11.5 to 15 months
- Greer: 10 to 13.5 months
Tennessee
- Memphis: 12 to 16 months
- Nashville: 13 to 17 months
Texas
- Dallas: 13 to 16.5 months
- El Paso: 13 to 15 months
- Harlingen: 11.5 to 16 months
- Houston: 12 to 14 months
- San Antonio: 11.5 to 13.5 months
U.S. Virgin Islands
- Charlotte Amalie: 11.5 to 15 months
- Christiansted: 11.5 to 15.5 months
Utah
- Salt Lake City: 13.5 to 16 months
Vermont
- Burlington: 10.5 to 12 months
Virginia
- Norfolk: 10.5 to 13.5 months
Washington
- Seattle: 13.5 to 15.5 months
- Spokane: 11.5 to 13 months
- Yakima: 13.5 to 15.5 months
Wisconsin
- Milwaukee: 14 to 17.5 months
Why times are longer this year
USCIS has added extra security screening, brought back neighborhood checks for some applicants, and is holding fewer ceremonies in some cities. Together, these steps slow down interviews and decisions. See our post on what changed in naturalization in October 2026 for details.
What you can do while you wait
- Check your own office on the USCIS processing times page: choose N-400 and your field office.
- Create a USCIS online account to track your case and get notices faster.
- Keep your address current — a missed interview letter can set you back months.
- If your case passes the second number in the range, submit a case inquiry online.
- Use the wait to study: practice the civics test and English reading and writing, so you're ready when the interview letter arrives.
Sources
- USCIS Case Processing Times (data published September 17, 2026)
- SpeedUpVisa N-400 data snapshot (year-over-year comparison)