USCIS Prepares to Decrease Staff by 70% (13 Thousand Workers)

[millefleur 5,046]

5 minutes ago, JeanneAdil said:

yeah,  but if USCIS is asking for $1.2 billion in bail out and the budget went down $13.7 million ,  do you think the fees will be less than asked for (or more)?

I see a big increase (my opinion, of course)

The numbers aren't adding up it seems. Are they planning to actually hire more people if they get the $1.2 billion? Odd.

[igoyougoduke 1,656]

USCIS just needs to call 1-800-FederalReserve. They are printing money in the trillions to bail out wall street 

[leroyleviticus 80]

I mean... I’m not worried about fee increases anymore. I’m worried about USCIS being able to keep their lights on at all at this point. These are very significant cuts and it doesn’t look like anybody in Congress seems to care.
 

I was so close to getting my citizenship, too. At least I know I’m not alone in this but it still sucks. I have considered writing letters/emails to my state reps here in Iowa but it will probably do nothing at all. Anyone else considered doing this?

[Allaboutwaiting 2,503]

7 minutes ago, JeanneAdil said:

yeah,  but if USCIS is asking for $1.2 billion in bail out and the budget went down $13.7 million ,  do you think the fees will be less than asked for (or more)?

I see a big increase (my opinion, of course)

It is called wishful thinking. 😃

 

Of course I'm speculating, but they might have added some exceptions or fee waivers -for instance, the proposed extra fees for EAD/AP could be waived for K1s when adjusting status-.

[millefleur 5,046]

3 minutes ago, leroyleviticus said:

I mean... I’m not worried about fee increases anymore. I’m worried about USCIS being able to keep their lights on at all at this point. These are very significant cuts and it doesn’t look like anybody in Congress seems to care.
 

I was so close to getting my citizenship, too. At least I know I’m not alone in this but it still sucks. I have considered writing letters/emails to my state reps here in Iowa but it will probably do nothing at all. Anyone else considered doing this?

I'm considering it honestly. I have a feeling a lot of people on Congress don't get USCIS or how it functions (unless they personally have immigrants in their family). I think a mass letter writing or phone calling to congressmen might help. I don't know if it would actually lead to change but better than doing nothing. @Captain Ewok has been putting up petitions but I don't know to what degree those actually help?

 

I'm worried the general economic downturn is going to make people view USCIS with even more suspicion now, even though it is legal immigration. If Congress people want to get re-elected, I doubt they will actively promote refunding USCIS.  😕

 

[leroyleviticus 80]

2 minutes ago, millefleur said:

I'm considering it honestly. I have a feeling a lot of people on Congress don't get USCIS or how it functions (unless they personally have immigrants in their family). I think a mass letter writing or phone calling to congressmen might help. I don't know if it would actually lead to change but better than doing nothing. @Captain Ewok has been putting up petitions but I don't know to what degree those actually help?

 

I'm worried the general economic downturn is going to make people view USCIS with even more suspicion now, even though it is legal immigration. If Congress people want to get re-elected, I doubt they will actively promote refunding USCIS.  😕

 

I totally agree with you - doing something is better than doing nothing. I have been sharing this with everyone I know. Friends, family, coworkers... My thinking is that the more people know about this and understand what it means, the better the chances are of Congress being pressured to take a closer look at this. They may not listen to immigrants but if it blows up, they will have to. Right? I don’t know... Maybe I’m just lost in wishful thinking.

[Harold_Oakland 133]

10 minutes ago, leroyleviticus said:

I mean... I’m not worried about fee increases anymore. I’m worried about USCIS being able to keep their lights on at all at this point. These are very significant cuts and it doesn’t look like anybody in Congress seems to care.
 

I was so close to getting my citizenship, too. At least I know I’m not alone in this but it still sucks. I have considered writing letters/emails to my state reps here in Iowa but it will probably do nothing at all. Anyone else considered doing this?

I've done the same as you and have contacted my Representative and one Senator (the other would probably shrug it off) here in Colorado. Unfortunately I haven't read anything about a USCIS bailout being talked about. All we can collectively do is write our representatives and hope for the best. It's fascinating that no one will touch this issue in an election year, except to be openly hostile to the notion of legal immigration.

Unfortunately, my wife just filed for naturalization, and it seems that our hope has been lost for any type of result any time this year.

Good luck, everyone.

[millefleur 5,046]

Just now, Harold_Oakland said:

All we can collectively do is write our representatives and hope for the best. It's fascinating that no one will touch this issue in an election year, except to be openly hostile to the notion of legal immigration.

The fact that it is an election year makes it even worse. I think a lot of 2020 N-400 filers won't see any real progress until 2021. Maybe I'm wrong but let's see what happens.

[Allaboutwaiting 2,503]

27 minutes ago, millefleur said:

I have a feeling a lot of people on Congress don't get USCIS or how it functions (unless they personally have immigrants in their family).

That is always the problem at any level: desk decisions from people with no actual experience IN the field.

[Allaboutwaiting 2,503]

Btw, did anyone here participate during the public comment period for this specific fee change proposal? 

Edited June 25, 2020 by Allaboutwaiting

[millefleur 5,046]

2 minutes ago, Allaboutwaiting said:

That is always the problem at any level: desk decisions from people with no actual experience IN the field.

There has also been a recent Overton Window shift of anti-immigrant sentiment meaning both anti-illegal and legal immigration sadly. I doubt politicians will feel safe promoting (even legal) immigration as a net benefit for us as a country as long as we're in this economic downtown and this pandemic is going on.

[JeanneAdil 6,510]

1 hour ago, millefleur said:

The numbers aren't adding up it seems. Are they planning to actually hire more people if they get the $1.2 billion? Odd.

yeah,  one thing i have noticed when the city,  state,  or federal government wants an increase,  they ask for more than they expect to receive and we give them what they actually (a lower increase) wanted in the first place.  School districts do this all the time.

[George & Roth 1,485]

They should eliminate the separate process for 10 years GC and citizenship for those that intend to apply for citizenship. I know they often do combination of these two for the final processing, they should just eliminate the secondary process altogether for those that want to skip right to N-400. Should ease some workload. 

[millefleur 5,046]

1 minute ago, George & Roth said:

They should eliminate the separate process for 10 years GC and citizenship for those that intend to apply for citizenship. I know they often do combination of these two for the final processing, they should just eliminate the secondary process altogether for those that want to skip right to N-400. Should ease some workload. 

Are you referring to Removing Conditions?

[George & Roth 1,485]

2 minutes ago, millefleur said:

Are you referring to Removing Conditions?

Yeah, we will file that in coming November and one year later file the N400. I understand they usually combine these later on for final process? If so,  just combine from the onset instead. 

Edited June 25, 2020 by George & Roth