The USCIS Immigration Backlog: A Deep Dive into the 11.6 Million Pending Applications The USCIS immigration backlog has reached a staggering scale that captures headlines and personal stories alike. According to a recent NPR analysis of data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), there are approximately 11.6 million pending applications in the agency’s “backlog” — cases that have been received and categorized but await a final decision. Add to that roughly 248,000 applications in the separate “frontlog” — unopened submissions, often mailed ones not yet assigned — and the total pending workload approaches 12 million. This USCIS immigration backlog…