The short version
- I-765 TPS for El Salvador, (c)(19) and (a)(12): 80% of cases done within 18.5 months at USCIS Service Center Operations (USCIS, read November 4, 2026).
- Other categories: (c)(9), pending green card application: 12 to 12.5 months; (c)(3), F-1 student (OPT): 5 months; (c)(8), pending asylum, first application: 1 month.
- USCIS updates its processing times every month; the figure is the time it took to finish 80% of the cases decided in the past six months.
- Your receipt notice shows the category and the office to look up.
- Form I-765 asks for two identical 2 x 2 inch passport-style photos, white to off-white background.
- 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 the TPS El Salvador work permit take now?
USCIS lists this category as “Based on TPS for El Salvador [(c)(19), (a)(12)]”. The figure below is for the office or offices that decide it.
The rule
- Work permits (Form I-765), category TPS for El Salvador, (c)(19) and (a)(12): 80% were completed within 18.5 months at USCIS Service Center Operations. egov.uscis.gov
How it compares with other work permit categories
Each category has its own clock. The full list is on our page of I-765 processing times by category.
The rules
- Work permits (Form I-765), category (c)(9), pending green card application: 80% were completed within 12 months at the National Benefits Center. egov.uscis.gov
- Work permits (Form I-765), category (c)(9), pending green card application: 80% were completed within 12.5 months at USCIS Service Center Operations. egov.uscis.gov
- Work permits (Form I-765), category (c)(3), F-1 student (OPT): 80% were completed within 5 months at USCIS Service Center Operations. egov.uscis.gov
- Work permits (Form I-765), category (c)(8), pending asylum, first application: 80% were completed within 1 month at USCIS Service Center Operations. 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 two photos for Form I-765
The photos are printed, 2 x 2 inches, with the head 1 to 1 3/8 inches from hair to chin, and your name and A-Number written lightly on the back in pencil. 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 rule
- 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
FAQ
How do I know which I-765 category I filed under?
Your receipt notice shows the form, category and office; the USCIS processing times page asks you to use it to find your figure. Source: official page "USCIS Case Processing Times", checked on Nov 4, 2026.
How many photos does Form I-765 need?
Two identical color passport-style photos, taken recently, 2 by 2 inches, on a white to off-white background. Source: official page "Instructions for Form I-765 (edition 08/21/25) › C. Photographs", 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-765 › Based on TPS for El Salvador [(c)(19), (a)(12)] › Service Center Operations (SCOPS) egov.uscis.gov · checked Nov 4, 2026
- Instructions for Form I-765 (edition 08/21/25) › C. Photographs uscis.gov · checked Nov 4, 2026
Something here out of date? Tell us and we will check it against the official page.