The short version
- Family-based I-485 in Norfolk, VA: 80% of cases done within 19.5 months (USCIS, read November 4, 2026).
- Rank: 70th of 90 field offices, fastest first; the median office is at 16 months.
- Work permit while you wait (I-765, (c)(9)): 12 months at the National Benefits Center, 12.5 months at Service Center Operations.
- Advance parole (I-131): 26.5 months at Service Center Operations.
- Photos: two for the I-485, two for the I-765 and two for the I-131, all 2 x 2 inch passport-style.
- SelfieToPassport turns a phone photo into 2 x 2 inch photos on a 4x6 sheet with 2 and a letter sheet with 6, for $6.95.
How long does an I-485 take in Norfolk, VA now?
This is the USCIS figure for family-based adjustment of status, the green card application filed from inside the United States through a relative, at the Norfolk field office in Virginia. Your interview and decision happen at the field office that serves your address.
The rule
- At the USCIS Norfolk, VA field office, 80% of family-based green card applications (Form I-485) were completed within 19.5 months. egov.uscis.gov
How Norfolk, VA compares with other field offices
Across the 90 USCIS field offices we read on November 4, 2026, the fastest were Burlington, VT (8.5 months), Tucson, AZ (8.5 months) and Anchorage, AK (9.5 months), and the slowest Seattle, WA (36 months), San Jose, CA (32.5 months) and Santa Ana, CA (27.5 months). Norfolk, VA ranks 70th.
Work and travel permits while the I-485 is pending
Many applicants file Form I-765 for a work permit and Form I-131 for advance parole together with the I-485, so they can work and travel while they wait. Each is decided on its own clock, by a service center rather than the field office.
The rules
- Work permits (Form I-765) based on a pending green card application, category (c)(9): 80% were completed within 12 months at the National Benefits Center. egov.uscis.gov
- The same (c)(9) work permits took up to 12.5 months for 80% of cases at USCIS Service Center Operations. egov.uscis.gov
- Advance parole travel documents (Form I-131): 80% were completed within 26.5 months at USCIS Service Center Operations. egov.uscis.gov
If your green card is employment-based
Employment-based I-485 cases have their own USCIS figures, published for field offices as a group and for Service Center Operations, not office by office.
The rules
- Employment-based green card applications (Form I-485) decided at USCIS field offices: 80% within 9.5 months. egov.uscis.gov
- Employment-based Form I-485 cases at USCIS Service Center Operations: 80% within 42.5 months. egov.uscis.gov
How USCIS counts the processing time
The figure is not a promise for your case: it looks back at cases USCIS already decided. USCIS generally works in the order it receives cases, and some take longer than others. Your receipt notice shows the form, category and office to look up.
The rule
- A USCIS processing time is how long it took USCIS to complete 80% of the cases it decided over the past six months. egov.uscis.gov
The photos for the I-485, I-765 and I-131
A complete filing with all three forms needs six identical photos: 2 x 2 inches, head 1 to 1 3/8 inches from hair to chin, white to off-white background, printed on photo paper. SelfieToPassport turns a phone photo into 2 x 2 inch photos on a 4x6 sheet with 2 and a letter sheet with 6, for $6.95.
The rules
- Form I-485 asks for two identical color passport-style photos of the applicant, 2 by 2 inches, taken recently. uscis.gov
- Form I-765, the work permit application, asks for two identical color passport-style photos taken recently, on a white to off-white background. uscis.gov
- Applicants in the United States filing Form I-131 for an advance parole document must send two identical color passport-style photos. uscis.gov
FAQ
How many photos do I need for a green card application?
Two identical passport-style photos for Form I-485. If you file the work permit (Form I-765) and advance parole (Form I-131) with it, each asks for two more: six in all. Source: official pages "Instructions for Form I-485 (edition 09/18/26) › What Evidence Must You Submit › 1. Photographs", "Instructions for Form I-765 (edition 08/21/25) › C. Photographs" and "Instructions for Form I-131 (edition 01/20/25) › Photographs", checked on Nov 4, 2026.
Can I move my I-485 to a faster office than Norfolk, VA?
USCIS assigns the field office by your address; the processing times page lists each office separately so you can see the figure for yours. Source: official page "USCIS Case Processing Times", checked on Nov 4, 2026.
When can I ask USCIS about a slow I-485?
The USCIS processing times page has a case inquiry tool: enter your receipt date and it tells you whether you can contact USCIS about the case yet. Source: official page "USCIS Case Processing Times", checked on Nov 4, 2026.
Where this information comes from
Every rule on this page comes from a page published by the U.S. Department of State and the companies named, read on the date shown. We rewrite each rule in plain words and link to the page it came from. Each rule has a review deadline; one that passes it without a new check comes off the page.
- USCIS Case Processing Times › I-485 › Family-based adjustment applications › Norfolk VA egov.uscis.gov · checked Nov 4, 2026
- Instructions for Form I-485 (edition 09/18/26) › What Evidence Must You Submit › 1. Photographs uscis.gov · checked Nov 4, 2026
- Instructions for Form I-765 (edition 08/21/25) › C. Photographs uscis.gov · checked Nov 4, 2026
- Instructions for Form I-131 (edition 01/20/25) › Photographs uscis.gov · checked Nov 4, 2026
Something here out of date? Tell us and we will check it against the official page.