Immigration Security Checks—How and Why the Process Works

[Captain Ewok 1,891]

All applicants for a U.S. immigration benefit are subject to criminal and national security background checks to ensure they are eligible for that benefit. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the Federal agency that oversees immigration benefits, performs checks on every applicant, regardless of ethnicity, national origin or religion.

Since 2002, USCIS has increased the number and scope of relevant background checks, processing millions of security checks without incident. However, in some cases, USCIS customers and immigrant advocates have expressed frustration over delays in processing applications, noting that individual customers have waited a year or longer for the completion of their adjudication pending the outcome of security checks. While the percentage of applicants who find their cases delayed by pending background checks is relatively small, USCIS recognizes that for those affected individuals, the additional delay and uncertainty can cause great anxiety. Although USCIS cannot guarantee the prompt resolution of every case, we can assure the public that applicants are not singled out based on race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin.

USCIS strives to balance the need for timely, fair and accurate service with the need to ensure a high level of integrity in the decision-making process. This fact sheet outlines the framework of the immigration security check process, explaining its necessity, as well as factors contributing to delays in resolving pending cases.

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[LaL 418]

while i am sure they dont set out to make our lives miserable, i cant quite get my head around what takes soo long. Furthermore the misinformation I received during this time was unbelieveable. Unfortunately i was not one who could just chalk it up to them being chopf*cks... i wanted an answer and be damn consistant about it for once.

The security check process was the most difficult part of the process and was seriously affecting my professional, personal and emotional life. I can only hope that after AOS interview we dont wind up going through this twice.

good read.

[Indo_mommy 0]

Thanks for the info Capt!

[I'm Gone 60]

"Every USCIS District Office performs regular reviews of the pending caseload to determine when cases have cleared and are ready to be decided."

That sounds like BS to me based on what happened with my wife's naturlization application. She had the fingerprints done last November and when she had her interview in January the application couldn't be approved because the checks hadn't been completed. We waited 2 months and then we contacted one of our Senators and a week later she received the N-400 approval notice, so I know the results from the checks were sitting in a pile of papers on someone's desk and we would probably still be waiting if we hadn't followed up.

[Jaylen Brit 0]

You may have noticed tho that the term 'regular' is not quaified..regular to ME would mean perhaps weekly, maybe to you as well, but to them it might mean 'every quarter'.

The wheels of govt grind slowly - as Im sure you know (ex govt worker here too, and hearing the big-wigs pronounce what we 'should' be doing whilst cutting staff to pretty much ensure it was impossible was hella demoralizing)

[babybunny 2]

regualar reviews. HA.

those reviews happen once per month. I think they should have them more often than once per month.