San Francisco field office: among the longest waits in the country
Bay Area applicants face some of the longest USCIS field office queues in the country, and San Francisco is no exception.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and past error
N-400 naturalization
Within normal time
Too early for a case inquiry.
| Published range, San Francisco, CA | 14.5 to 22.5 months |
|---|---|
| Time since your receipt date | 12.4 months |
| USCIS takes inquiries for receipts on or before | December 4, 2024 |
| National average to a decision (August 2026) | 12.7 months |
How this was calculated
- USCIS published these ranges on September 17, 2026. The upper figure is the time within which USCIS completed 80% of cases; the lower one is the median.
- The national average is a different measure: all cases completed in the month, from receipt to decision, as reported to Congress.
Processing-time data: ImmigrationTimes.org (CC BY 4.0), from USCIS; selected and reformatted. Check your own case on egov.uscis.gov.
Estimate from public data, not legal advice. Your case may differ (cross-chargeability, CSPA, waivers). For advice, see a licensed immigration attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative. Not affiliated with USCIS or the Department of State. Method and past error
San Francisco is near the bottom of the national ranking on both counts. USCIS publishes 14.5 to 22.5 months for Form N-400 at the San Francisco field office, rank 87 of 90, and 18.5 to 41.5 months for family-based Form I-485, rank 85. Its Northern California neighbors are not faster: San Jose, which ranks last of all offices for naturalization, publishes 16 to 31.5 months for the N-400 and 32.5 to 43 months for the family I-485, and Sacramento 16 to 24 months and 18 to 39 months. For an applicant, the practical consequence is that the inquiry window opens late. USCIS accepts San Francisco inquiries only for N-400 receipts dated on or before December 4, 2024, and for family I-485 receipts on or before May 1, 2023. Figures from the USCIS publication of September 17, 2026; the upper number in each range is the time within which USCIS completes 80% of cases.
Two long queues
At San Francisco the naturalization upper bound is 22.5 months and the family green card upper bound 41.5. In early 2022 the same office published 14.5 to 19 months and 17 to 35.5 months. Both queues have lengthened since, by +3.5 and +6 months at the 80% mark.
The Bay Area picture
San Jose ranks 90 of 90 for naturalization and 86 for family adjustment; Sacramento ranks 89 and 75. All three Northern California offices sit in the slowest quarter for at least one queue.
What you can check
Enter your receipt date in the checker above to see the months elapsed against the published range. If the green card depends on a priority date, the Visa Bulletin also sets a floor: the case cannot be approved before the date is current, whatever the office speed.
The interview and the oath
A naturalization case at San Francisco usually ends with an interview, the English and civics tests, and a decision. If USCIS approves, the oath ceremony is scheduled afterwards and is not part of the published range. In some offices the oath happens on the same day; in others it comes weeks later. The range on this page stops at the decision, so plan for the ceremony on top of it if you need a passport for a fixed date.
San Francisco, CA: latest published times
| Form | Range | Rank of 90 | Inquiries for receipts up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| N-400 | 14.5 to 22.5 months | 87 | December 4, 2024 |
| I-485 family-based | 18.5 to 41.5 months | 85 | May 1, 2023 |
Four years of published times
| Last publication of the year | N-400 | I-485 family |
|---|---|---|
| December 1, 2022 | 15.5 to 24.0 months | 29.0 to 36.0 months |
| December 27, 2023 | 8.0 to 12.5 months | 19.0 to 28.5 months |
| December 20, 2024 | 6.0 to 9.0 months | 14.5 to 29.0 months |
| December 18, 2025 | 6.5 to 8.0 months | 9.5 to 21.0 months |
| September 17, 2026 | 14.5 to 22.5 months | 18.5 to 41.5 months |