Are applications submitted to USCIS lockboxes processed in the order they are received?

[optimusx 1]

I am curious whether applications submitted to USCIS lockboxes processed in the order they are received, or are they randomly processed from a batch of received applications. I ask because I have noticed that applications submitted to the same lockbox around the same filing dates have a wide variance in the processing times. Even in the same category of applications and similar filing dates, some applications are processed in about 2 weeks, but others are processed by 3 weeks or more than a month. By processing times I am referring to the time interval for cashing checks and issuing receipt notices after receipt of application.

[igoyougoduke 1,656]

yes they are processed in the order thet are received but some applicants can be flagged due to initial screening and those take longer to get processed 

[JeanneAdil 6,510]

The Chicago lock box can receive hundreds (even thousands ) a day

How do they know which came in first?

This is what they do according to USCIS with no promise of what package is opened first

 

A lockbox is a service that is set up to receive and process payments. The USCIS lockbox facilities are simply locations that receive your form/application and process your payments.

 

Intake Process

The Lockbox Service provider performs the following activities when processing incoming applications and petitions:

• Receive, open, sort and stage mail;
• Prepare and scan documents;
• Enter document data in system from scanned images;
• Accept or reject applications and related fees based on business rules;
• Balance applications and fees;
• Deposit payments to the U.S. Treasury;
• Send receipt notices for accepted applications to the applicant and designated representative;
• Return rejected applications to the applicant or designated representative;
• Transmit application data to USCIS and payment data to U.S. Department of Treasury; and
• Send application files to the appropriate USCIS service center or field office for further processing.

 

 

Edited October 20, 2020 by JeanneAdil

[payxibka 10,045]

1 hour ago, James120383 said:

yes they are processed in the order thet are received but some applicants can be flagged due to initial screening and those take longer to get processed 

Some applications contain 1000s of pages of evidence that slows down the intake as well

[payxibka 10,045]

4 minutes ago, JeanneAdil said:

The Chicago lock box can receive hundreds (even thousands ) a day

How do they know which came in first?

This is what they do according to USCIS with no promise of what package is opened first

 

Intake Process

The Lockbox Service provider performs the following activities when processing incoming applications and petitions:

• Receive, open, sort and stage mail;
• Prepare and scan documents;
• Enter document data in system from scanned images;
• Accept or reject applications and related fees based on business rules;
• Balance applications and fees;
• Deposit payments to the U.S. Treasury;
• Send receipt notices for accepted applications to the applicant and designated representative;
• Return rejected applications to the applicant or designated representative;
• Transmit application data to USCIS and payment data to U.S. Department of Treasury; and
• Send application files to the appropriate USCIS service center or field office for further processing.

 

 

They only know the day it arrived 

[JeanneAdil 6,510]

2 minutes ago, payxibka said:

They only know the day it arrived 

and they get hundreds in the same day/ all can have same post date of day sent (especially if someone uses next day delivery)

when i get 5 letters in my mailbox , which is 1st to arrive?

Edited October 20, 2020 by JeanneAdil

[payxibka 10,045]

Just now, JeanneAdil said:

and they get hundreds in the same day/ all can have same post date of day sent (especially if someone uses next day delivery)

Day sent is meaningless,  day arrived becomes the PD.  

[JeanneAdil 6,510]

Just now, payxibka said:

Day sent is meaningless,  day arrived becomes the PD.  

yep, ana a3lam,  but hundreds ( even if only 10) in 1 day , which one came first?

after all they are delivered once a day to the lockbox not individually

 

[optimusx 1]

18 minutes ago, payxibka said:

Some applications contain 1000s of pages of evidence that slows down the intake as well

Yes, I think that is one of the big variables - depends on how many supporting documents are attached to the application forms. When my initial application was rejected and returned to me, I saw that they rearranged everything in some strange order - all forms are combined together, and all supporting documents are piled at the bottom. Multiple copies of the same supporting documents (for example, marriage certificates for I-130/I-485 concurrent filing) are combined together in that pile. For the forms, the barcodes at the bottom are also crossed out with a pen. That means manually sorting these documents and digitizing them in a certain order for each and every application takes considerable time and effort. However, with the introduction of the I-944 form the amount of supporting documents on many applications has increased to unknown levels.

 

I am doing a thought experiment about USCIS's processing methods from an operations engineering perspective. USCIS probably has its reasons regarding why they don't implement an all electronic application system - probably the initial cost of implementation or cybersecurity risks, or there is not enough motivation to do this by the government. That's why I am thinking of ways how paper-based intake processing could be optimized. It would be benefit so many potential immigration applicants if these operations could be streamlined, and also save money for USCIS.

Edited October 20, 2020 by optimusx

[Letspaintcookies 2,310]

43 minutes ago, JeanneAdil said:

yep, ana a3lam,  but hundreds ( even if only 10) in 1 day , which one came first?

after all they are delivered once a day to the lockbox not individually

 

They go by date. If you're number 5 or number 50 in the pile doesn't matter for the process to come.

[Letspaintcookies 2,310]

37 minutes ago, optimusx said:

Yes, I think that is one of the big variables - depends on how many supporting documents are attached to the application forms. When my initial application was rejected and returned to me, I saw that they rearranged everything in some strange order - all forms are combined together, and all supporting documents are piled at the bottom. Multiple copies of the same supporting documents (for example, marriage certificates for I-130/I-485 concurrent filing) are combined together in that pile. For the forms, the barcodes at the bottom are also crossed out with a pen. That means manually sorting these documents and digitizing them in a certain order for each and every application takes considerable time and effort. However, with the introduction of the I-944 form the amount of supporting documents on many applications has increased to unknown levels.

 

I am doing a thought experiment about USCIS's processing methods from an operations engineering perspective. USCIS probably has its reasons regarding why they don't implement an all electronic application system - probably the initial cost of implementation or cybersecurity risks, or there is not enough motivation to do this by the government. That's why I am thinking of ways how paper-based intake processing could be optimized. It would be benefit so many potential immigration applicants if these operations could be streamlined, and also save money for USCIS.

Having the proper amount of staff could solve some issues 😉

[payxibka 10,045]

3 minutes ago, Letspaintcookies said:

They go by date. If you're number 5 or number 50 in the pile doesn't matter for the process to come.

And if it takes an adjudicator 2 days to get through a box and  a different adjudicator 2 weeks, things will appear out of sequence 

 

Edited October 20, 2020 by payxibka

[Letspaintcookies 2,310]

8 minutes ago, payxibka said:

And if it takes an adjudicator 2 days to get through a box and  a different adjudicator 2 weeks, things will appear out of sequence 

 

Right. And honestly, if I would work there, the bigger the package the further it would move down the pile 😂

[Ayrton 965]

2 hours ago, optimusx said:

I am curious whether applications submitted to USCIS lockboxes processed in the order they are received, or are they randomly processed from a batch of received applications. I ask because I have noticed that applications submitted to the same lockbox around the same filing dates have a wide variance in the processing times. Even in the same category of applications and similar filing dates, some applications are processed in about 2 weeks, but others are processed by 3 weeks or more than a month. By processing times I am referring to the time interval for cashing checks and issuing receipt notices after receipt of application.

The best example I heard is to compare it with a supermarket.

 

One cashier can be faster than the other. One customer might have a cart full of groceries, the other might have only a small basket. So if two people arrive at different lines at the same time, there's no guarantee they will leave at the same time.

[SusnOwen 159]

I sometimes feel like they do this, and whatever lands on the desk gets worked on next!