Why people who filed after you are getting NOA1 or NOA2 before you (maybe)

[Gail and Derrick 270]

This question comes up multiple times in the monthly threads with lots of speculative responses so I thought I'd share out some info from someone on reddit who responded to a question asked about how USCIS handles cases. The redditor states that they are in no way admitting or implying they work for USCIS (but obviously do). 

I've complied the relevant questions and responses. Of particular interest are the responses to questions 4–6. 

 

Important things to note:

• This info is NOT coming from me. I just found it on reddit (from about 2 months ago) and edited it for ease of reading.
• The Q&A is NOT specific to K-1s, but I think is probably applicable.
• I am sharing this only because a lot of people ask this. The responses are not mine. Do not shoot the messenger (me). 
• If there's a better place for this to live, I'm sure a mod will move it. Or delete it. 
• If you use reddit, you have enough info to go find the post. 

 

How is a case actually processed at USCIS?

In the life of a case once the physical application/paperwork/folder arrives at USCIS, what happens?

 

1.    Where does a folder wait?
The paperwork/application/whatever gets received by contractors at what's called a "lockbox". Files wait in different places, depending on the type and where it's filed. 

 

2.    Is it scanned or is paper from beginning to end?
Depending on the form, it may be made electronic or stay as paper. For 765s, 131s, 130s, the smaller forms, they're made electronic. The bigger files/forms stay paper.

 

3.    Is it randomly assigned to any USCIS official?
USCIS service centers are broken into teams that work specific forms. So within the team that works on K-1s, an applicant’s K-1 will be randomly assigned to an officer.

 

4.    Do officials have a number of cases simultaneously or they have just one?
Officers are assigned numerous cases at once. How many depends on the form type. Relatively easy forms like 765s an officer may get 30 a day and expect to complete those. More in-depth forms would be a couple a day. Officers who need to come in once a week or so to pick up a bunch of cases, then work from home (pandemic times).

 

5.    If more than one, are they all sitting stacked on the table and the official picks whichever he/she wants?
Pretty much, yeah. Officers pick which ones they do first and which one last. Unless there's a reason for the case to be worked first, which usually there isn't.

 

6.    Do officials need to decide on a case the second they get the folder or can they table a case? If they can table cases, would such cases wait their turn for any other official or is it always the same individual who process a given case end-to-end?
Yes, officers have discretion to decide to table a case if they want. They can hold off pretty much till the case is outside it's time frame and they get an email about it. Like every place, not all officers are the best, so some will "punt" a hard case so they don't have to do it.

 

Also, important to note that USCIS gets slammed with lawsuits all the time. So an officer may have a bunch of 131s, but be told to work nothing but 765(c)(8)s for a month. The 131s will just sit there while everyone concentrates on the c8s.

7.    If it's always physical docs, what is the software used for? I mean, what functionality does it provide other than change the status of a given case?
USCIS approves/denies/whatever using systems that are tied together. The systems all update at the end of the day. So say a 765 was approved around noon, the system will update midnight the next day.

 

8.    How are expedite requests handled?
Basically an applicant submits the request, somebody will look at it and decide yay or nay. If it's nay, that's it. If it's yay, the case is updated saying expedited request approved.
You'd think that would mean it would get done quickly. Weirdly enough, it might not mean anything. Maybe an email would go out to the officer, maybe not. It doesn't really speed up the time frame when the case needs to be worked by. 
 

[KSVJ 216]

wish i could get away with this at my job lol

[karppi 6]

On 10/4/2021 at 3:56 PM, Gail and Derrick said:

This question comes up multiple times in the monthly threads with lots of speculative responses so I thought I'd share out some info from someone on reddit who responded to a question asked about how USCIS handles cases. The redditor states that they are in no way admitting or implying they work for USCIS (but obviously do). 

I've complied the relevant questions and responses. Of particular interest are the responses to questions 4–6. 

 

Important things to note:

• This info is NOT coming from me. I just found it on reddit (from about 2 months ago) and edited it for ease of reading.
• The Q&A is NOT specific to K-1s, but I think is probably applicable.
• I am sharing this only because a lot of people ask this. The responses are not mine. Do not shoot the messenger (me). 
• If there's a better place for this to live, I'm sure a mod will move it. Or delete it. 
• If you use reddit, you have enough info to go find the post. 

 

How is a case actually processed at USCIS?

In the life of a case once the physical application/paperwork/folder arrives at USCIS, what happens?

 

1.    Where does a folder wait?
The paperwork/application/whatever gets received by contractors at what's called a "lockbox". Files wait in different places, depending on the type and where it's filed. 

 

2.    Is it scanned or is paper from beginning to end?
Depending on the form, it may be made electronic or stay as paper. For 765s, 131s, 130s, the smaller forms, they're made electronic. The bigger files/forms stay paper.

 

3.    Is it randomly assigned to any USCIS official?
USCIS service centers are broken into teams that work specific forms. So within the team that works on K-1s, an applicant’s K-1 will be randomly assigned to an officer.

 

4.    Do officials have a number of cases simultaneously or they have just one?
Officers are assigned numerous cases at once. How many depends on the form type. Relatively easy forms like 765s an officer may get 30 a day and expect to complete those. More in-depth forms would be a couple a day. Officers who need to come in once a week or so to pick up a bunch of cases, then work from home (pandemic times).

 

5.    If more than one, are they all sitting stacked on the table and the official picks whichever he/she wants?
Pretty much, yeah. Officers pick which ones they do first and which one last. Unless there's a reason for the case to be worked first, which usually there isn't.

 

6.    Do officials need to decide on a case the second they get the folder or can they table a case? If they can table cases, would such cases wait their turn for any other official or is it always the same individual who process a given case end-to-end?
Yes, officers have discretion to decide to table a case if they want. They can hold off pretty much till the case is outside it's time frame and they get an email about it. Like every place, not all officers are the best, so some will "punt" a hard case so they don't have to do it.

 

Also, important to note that USCIS gets slammed with lawsuits all the time. So an officer may have a bunch of 131s, but be told to work nothing but 765(c)(8)s for a month. The 131s will just sit there while everyone concentrates on the c8s.

7.    If it's always physical docs, what is the software used for? I mean, what functionality does it provide other than change the status of a given case?
USCIS approves/denies/whatever using systems that are tied together. The systems all update at the end of the day. So say a 765 was approved around noon, the system will update midnight the next day.

 

8.    How are expedite requests handled?
Basically an applicant submits the request, somebody will look at it and decide yay or nay. If it's nay, that's it. If it's yay, the case is updated saying expedited request approved.
You'd think that would mean it would get done quickly. Weirdly enough, it might not mean anything. Maybe an email would go out to the officer, maybe not. It doesn't really speed up the time frame when the case needs to be worked by. 
 

That's great information to know thanks! Do you remember the name of the thread on reddit? I'd like to follow it