USCIS Announces New Actions to Reduce Backlogs (merged)

[Nalvarez 9]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/immigration-uscis-case-backlog-processing-delays/

 

the article states:

 

According to the new processing guidelines, USCIS officers should adjudicate other applications, including those for U.S. citizenship, DACA renewals and green card requests for immigrants sponsored by U.S. family members or employers, within six months.

 

 

What would this mean for me who just applied a month ago?

Edited March 29, 2022 by Nalvarez

[Mike E 11,739]

16 minutes ago, Nalvarez said:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/immigration-uscis-case-backlog-processing-delays/

 

the article states:

 

According to the new processing guidelines, USCIS officers should adjudicate other applications, including those for U.S. citizenship, DACA renewals and green card requests for immigrants sponsored by U.S. family members or employers, within six months.

 

 

What would this mean for me who just applied a month ago?

Thanks for posting the article.  For those of us waiting on family based cases this won’t help  at all and arguably will make things worse as USCIS is forced to adapt to new processes.  I also don’t see what concrete changes will be done to ensure a 6 month adjudication for cases.  
 

The expansion of premium processing is welcome but doesn’t include family based cases.  
 

And nothing at all for those waiting on NVC and consular processing.  

 

It’s just another disappointment and false hope.  

Edited March 29, 2022 by Mike E

[Loren Y 2,755]

Never Happen in my opinion.... reference below....

 

 

[JeanneAdil 6,494]

interesting that the way they intend to solve it is by charging additional fees

what it doesn't say is will hire new people in the embassies and US offices

 

from the article all i see is They know there's a backlog but have no idea of the real issues

 

The agency plans to expand the number of applicants who can pay extra fees to have their immigration petitions adjudicated more quickly,

[Mike E 11,739]

4 minutes ago, JeanneAdil said:

interesting that the way they intend to solve it is by charging additional fees

what it doesn't say is will hire new people in the embassies and US offices

 

from the article all i see is They know there's a backlog but have no idea of the real issues

 

The agency plans to expand the number of applicants who can pay extra fees to have their immigration petitions adjudicated more quickly,

Read deeper:

 

”The rule, set to take effect in 60 days, will expand premium processing to additional employment-based green card applications, all work permit petitions and temporary immigration status extension requests, allowing applicants to pay $2,500 to have their cases adjudicated within 45 days.”

 

IOW no impact on family based cases, other than charging $2500 to get an I-765 done in 45 days. People who need an EAD likely don’t have $2500 to gamble (yes gamble because then goverment won’t refund the $2500 on day 46).  

[JeanneAdil 6,494]

1 hour ago, Nalvarez said:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/immigration-uscis-case-backlog-processing-delays/

 

the article states:

 

According to the new processing guidelines, USCIS officers should adjudicate other applications, including those for U.S. citizenship, DACA renewals and green card requests for immigrants sponsored by U.S. family members or employers, within six months.

 

What would this mean for me who just applied a month ago?

according to the article if u pay extra

don't forget this would be if all documents are in and accepted and there's no RFE and it seems to only refer to the initial USCIS part of the process / no info about the NVC or embassy parts (reading thru the article unless i missed something)

no mention of family based petitions

 

Among USCIS's new measures is a rule to expand "premium processing," which allows certain applicants to pay $2,500 in extra fees to have their cases reviewed on an expedited basis. 

Edited March 29, 2022 by JeanneAdil

[Kurt and Kristina 72]

This is from an email I received today:

 

WASHINGTON— Today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is announcing a trio of efforts to increase efficiency and reduce burdens to the overall legal immigration system. USCIS will set new agency-wide backlog reduction goals, expand premium processing to additional form types, and work to improve timely access to employment authorization documents. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resource constraints resulting from the prior administration, USCIS inherited a significant number of pending cases and increased processing times. Through today’s actions by the Biden administration, USCIS is acting to reduce these caseloads and processing times, while also ensuring that fair and efficient services are available to applicants and petitioners. “USCIS remains committed to delivering timely and fair decisions to all we serve,” said USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou. “Every application we adjudicate represents the hopes and dreams of immigrants and their families, as well as their critical immediate needs such as financial stability and humanitarian protection.” Reducing Processing Backlogs To reduce the agency’s pending caseload, USCIS is establishing new internal cycle time goals this month. These goals are internal metrics that guide the backlog reduction efforts of the USCIS workforce and affect how long it takes the agency to process cases. As cycle times improve, processing times will follow, and applicants and petitioners will receive decisions on their cases more quickly. USCIS will be increase capacity, improve technology, and expand staffing to achieve these new goals by the end of FY 2023. The agency’s publicly posted processing times show the average amount of time it took USCIS to process a particular form – from when the agency received the application until a decision was made on the case. Internally, USCIS monitors the number of pending cases in the agency’s workload through a metric called “cycle times.” A cycle time measures how many months’ worth of pending cases for a particular form are awaiting a decision. As an internal management metric, cycle times are generally comparable to the agency’s publicly posted median processing times. Cycle times are what the operational divisions of USCIS use to gauge how much progress the agency is, or is not, making on reducing our backlog and overall case processing times. Expanding Premium Processing Today the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a final rule that aligns premium processing regulations with the Emergency Stopgap USCIS Stabilization Act. The rule codifies premium processing fees and adjudication timeframes provided by Congress. Premium processing is an expedited adjudication service now available only to petitioners filing a Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, and to certain employment-based immigrant visa petitioners filing a Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers. This final rule expands the categories of forms ultimately eligible for premium processing services, including Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status; Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization; and additional classifications under Form I-140. USCIS intends to begin implementing, through a phased approach, premium processing availability of Form I-539, Form I-765 and Form I-140 in fiscal year 2022. USCIS will also adhere to the congressional requirement that the expansion of premium processing must not cause an increase in processing times for regular immigration benefit requests. USCIS plans to begin this phased implementation process by expanding premium processing eligibility to Form I-140 filers requesting EB-1 immigrant classification as a multinational executive or manager, or EB-2 immigrant classification as a member of professions with advanced degrees or exceptional ability seeking a national interest waiver. Improving Access to Employment Authorization Documents USCIS continues to make progress toward a temporary final rule currently named “Temporary Increase of the Automatic Extension Period of Employment Authorization and Documentation for Certain Renewal Applicants.” In recent months, USCIS has begin streamlining many EAD processes, including extending validity periods for certain EADs and providing expedited work authorization renewals for healthcare and childcare workers. The temporary final rule aims to build on this progress and to ensure certain individuals will not lose their work authorization status while their applications are pending. A full list of prior actions USCIS has taken to reduce processing times and the agency’s pending caseload is available on our website.

[Mike E 11,739]

Zero impact for OP since premium processing doesn’t apply today to spousal cases and per the article won’t apply tomorrow 

[Boiler 45,468]

The end of FY 2023 is September 2024?

 

Sp 2 1/2 years from now? Do not hold your breath.

[Dashinka 24,489]

Also, what are the ramifications of not meeting the new goals?

[Boiler 45,468]

Just now, Dashinka said:

Also, what are the ramifications of not meeting the new goals?

You set new goals.

 

[Kurt and Kristina 72]

With this process, hold for any hope. 

Just the messenger gents...  

[Verrou 1,962]

i wont hold my breath. they havent even clear the backlog from 2019-2020-early 2021. been waiting for my i-130 for 17 months now LOL 

Edited March 29, 2022 by Misscloud

[Verrou 1,962]

57 minutes ago, Mike E said:

Read deeper:

 

”The rule, set to take effect in 60 days, will expand premium processing to additional employment-based green card applications, all work permit petitions and temporary immigration status extension requests, allowing applicants to pay $2,500 to have their cases adjudicated within 45 days.”

 

IOW no impact on family based cases, other than charging $2500 to get an I-765 done in 45 days. People who need an EAD likely don’t have $2500 to gamble (yes gamble because then goverment won’t refund the $2500 on day 46).  

all i read is they just want to make more money from this premium service

 

[MrsAb2021 29]

Let's hope they can start clearing some backlog soon.