Processing Times: backlogged cases versus new cases

[N400NYC 380]

As many of you know, some field offices are severely affected by backlogged cases (e.g. NYC, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, LA etc). Does anyone know what is defined as a "backlogged case" - it is any case from the previous calendar year (or maybe previous fiscal year) that wasn't processed by year's end? For example, if a case filed in April isn't resolved by December of that year, does it enter the next year as a "backlogged case"?

 

The reason I ask this is because some people have suggested/said that a LIFO (last in, first out) policy may operate in some field offices that are heavily impacted by backlogged cases. In this situation, newer applications don't join the backlog queue but may join a different "of this year" queue. if that makes sense. In theory it's possible there are two different queues under such a scenario - the backlog queue and the new applicants queue. This in part would explain why some people in those cities get interviews sooner than others who have been waiting from the previous year. And I am talking about cases that are on the surface exactly the same. 

 

I don't really understand the logic being the LIFO method, but it has been implemented recently by USCIS to help reduce the backlog of asylum cases.