For the first time in nearly a decade, USPTO examiners are getting through more work than the pile of new applications coming in, meaning the backlog is finally shrinking, along with your examination wait time.
As of April 6, 2025, the inventory of unexamined patent applications dropped to 776,995, its lowest level in two years, down from a peak of 837,928 in January 2025. More significantly, cumulative USPTO output has now surpassed cumulative filings within a single fiscal year. The office is also on pace to meet its goal of virtually eliminating all applications left unexamined beyond 36 months. USPTO Director John Squires called it “the tipping point of momentum now in favor of the applicant.”
The USPTO credits several factors for the turnaround: a major examiner hiring push (923 new examiners in FY2024, a 42% jump), AI tools implemented to support examination, and a fiscal calendar that historically sees its highest productivity in the third and fourth quarters. The backlog is expected to continue shrinking through September. Critically, these gains were made while exceeding all quality compliance targets, without cutting corners.
Even so, applicants are still looking at roughly 18–20 months to a first office action and 23–26 months to final disposition on average. The trend is improving, but the queue remains long. Director Squires noted internal studies showing that even a one-week reduction in pendency increases a U.S. company’s value by approximately $35,000 on average, proving that reduced wait times has a real economic impact for applicants and the broader economy.
If you want to know where your application stands and what to expect, try our free Patent Timer tool. It estimates your examination timeline based on your specific invention. And if you have questions about the patenting process in general, get in touch at colton@mypatentguys.com!