Vermont Service Center: I-140 and I-129 times in 2026
Vermont Service Center (VSC)
The Vermont Service Center (VSC) is the second center that adjudicates O-1 petitions on Form I-129. A receipt number with the EAC prefix usually points to VSC. The split between VSC and CSC depends on center workload, not on your choice.
How to read your receipt number
A USCIS receipt number is three letters followed by ten digits. The first three letters - the prefix - identify the processing center: EAC corresponds to "Vermont Service Center (VSC)". This is routing, not status: the prefix tells you nothing about approval or denial.
Check your case status by receipt numberWhich forms Vermont Service Center (VSC) processes
By the USCIS chart, 16 of the 22 forms we track go here. For talent visas: I-129 (O), I-485, I-907, I-765, I-131, I-539, I-290B; not here: I-140.
- I-129 (O) - O visa petition (extraordinary ability)
- I-485 - Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status
- I-907 - Request for Premium Processing Service
- I-765 - Application for Employment Authorization
- I-131 - Travel documents: advance parole, reentry permit
- I-539 - Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status (including O-3)
- I-290B - Notice of Appeal or Motion
- I-129 (P) - P visa petition: athletes, artists and entertainersP-1A for Major League Sports - Vermont only
- I-129 (H-1B) - H-1B: change of status in the US
- I-129F - Petition for Alien Fiance(e), K-1/K-2Vermont - AWA cases only
- I-130 - Petition for Alien Relative
- I-751 - Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence
- I-824 - Application for Action on an Approved Application or Petition
- I-102 - Replacement/Initial Arrival-Departure Document (I-94)
- I-360 - Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant
- I-821 - Application for Temporary Protected Status
Source: the USCIS chart Service Center Forms Processing (agency date Oct 11, 2024, read Oct 11, 2026). USCIS says the split changes with each center's workload and posts moves on its Workload Transfer Updates page.
How long USCIS takes now
USCIS no longer shows these forms center by center: its processing-times tool reports one office, "Service Center Operations (SCOPS)". So the honest answer to "is this center faster" is that the agency does not publish per-center speed for I-129 and I-140. The figure is the time in which 80% of cases were completed (our read of Oct 2, 2026).
| Form and category | 80% of cases within |
|---|---|
| I-129, O visa (O-1) | 14.5 mo |
| I-140, EB-1A | 32.5 mo |
| I-140, EB-1B | 15 mo |
| I-140, EB-2 NIW | 30 mo |
| I-485, employment-based | 42.5 mo |
| I-765 with a pending I-485, (c)(9) | 12.5 mo |
| I-131, advance parole | 26.5 mo |
Premium processing (I-907) does not change this table: it sets a 15 or 45 business-day clock for the petition. Month-by-month history: USCIS processing times; premium: how premium processing works.
What the community reports
Community members note that speed can differ between centers and shifts over time, so it is better to rely on current USCIS data than on someone else's case from last year. These are observations, not official timelines.
This is community-chat experience, not official data. Current timelines are in the USCIS processing times.
Sources
FAQ
- What does the EAC prefix mean?
- EAC is the Vermont Service Center prefix. It identifies the center processing your I-129 and says nothing about the case outcome.
- I did not choose a center - why is my case at VSC?
- USCIS itself distributes I-129 petitions between the Vermont and California centers by workload. You cannot influence it, and it does not change the evidence requirements.
- Does the receipt prefix affect the decision?
- No. The prefix only shows the processing center. The decision is made by an officer based on your evidence, not on the center.
From community practice
Support letters are stronger when written by independent experts familiar with your work who cite concrete results rather than general praise.
Field chats advise gathering evidence for a specific criterion from the start, rather than bolting it onto the petition at the last moment.
The community reminds that the same piece of evidence cannot be counted under several criteria at once - the officer expects separate evidence for each.
Distilled from public community chats - observations, not legal advice.
From community discussions
«In no way is this legal advice. But as someone who is going through the financial sector and putting together my own case, having read many forums, chats, RFE and NOID, I came to the conclusion that an officer primarily looks at the contribution to the industry or the critical/leading role in a top organization. And based on this, you need to select the remaining criteria and put together the Final Merits.»
community member · from public community chats
«When I entered on a B1/B2 we discussed with the lawyers what the difference is: Founder mode (allowed) - you negotiate investments, partnerships, take part in conferences, pitch the company. CEO mode (prohibited) - the company has other employees and you manage them on a regular basis, look for new clients - it's your work duty from 9 to 12, any activity that falls under W2.»
Rustam · from public community chats
«Usually this means that formally the criteria are met, but in the officer's opinion they're not enough to establish that the beneficiary is among the small percentage at the very top of the field. There's work at a respected company, but the critical capacity isn't proven, and so on.»
community member · from public community chats
Personal opinions of community members from public discussions, not legal advice.
Other centers and prefixes
Reference information, not legal advice and not a USCIS decision. Always verify routing, timelines and fees on uscis.gov.