WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced that, in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), it has met all milestones set forth in a joint business plan announced April 2, 2008, resulting in the elimination of the FBI National Name Check Program (NNCP) backlog.
“Our close partnership with the FBI has resulted in the accomplishment of this significant achievement with national security as its foundation,” said USCIS Acting Deputy Director Michael Aytes. “This continued working relationship will help to ensure that name check processing is accomplished as quickly as possible without compromising security concerns.”
The final goal of the business plan was to achieve a sustainable performance level by the NNCP of completing 98 percent of name check requests submitted by USCIS within 30 days, and the remaining two percent within 90 days. This performance level will become the new standard.
These vastly improved performance levels were achieved through a variety of collaborative steps taken by USCIS and the FBI, including:
–o an increase in NNCP staffing made possible by the transfer of appropriated funds from USCIS funding and additional fee revenue for name check processing;
–o name check process improvements initiated by the FBI;
–o refinements in the name check file search criteria which enabled the FBI to focus on files most likely to yield pertinent search results;
–o training of NNCP staff on USCIS adjudication requirements and the applicability of name check search results to USCIS adjudications; and
The Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday it is temporarily freezing a policy of deporting widows and widowers of U.S. citizens, a sign of the Obama administration’s interest in new approaches to immigration.
Only a few hundred people were at risk of deportation under the policy, but critics viewed it as one of the most painful consequences of President George W. Bush’s immigration crackdown.
Under the current interpretation of federal law, some immigrants whose American spouses had died faced possible deportation because their legal status was in limbo. The rule applied to immigrants who had been married for less than two years or whose green-card process hadn’t been completed when their spouses died. The clause, known as the “widow penalty,” had resulted in a spate of lawsuits.
On Tuesday, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that her agency was freezing any action against such widows and widowers for two years. “Smart immigration policy balances strong enforcement practices with common-sense, practical solutions to complicated issues,” Ms. Napolitano said.
A Department of Homeland Security statement said U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency that oversees immigrant petitions, would give favorable consideration to requests for reinstatement of cases that previously had been revoked under the law.
Ms. Napolitano’s directive offers relief, if only temporary, to some 200 widows and widowers. However, it suggests the Obama administration could be testing a softer approach to other contentious aspects of immigration policy.
“It’s a good sign, and it hedges Obama’s bets: If comprehensive [immigration] reform advances, this will help pave the way. If not, at least he can say he tried,” said Dan Kowalski, an Austin, Texas, immigration attorney and editor of Bender’s Immigration Bulletin.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reminds individuals that they must obtain Advance Parole from USCIS before traveling abroad if they have:
–o been granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS);
–o a pending application for adjustment of status to lawful permanent resident;
–o a pending application for relief under section 203 of the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA 203);
–o a pending asylum application; or
–o a pending application for legalization.
To obtain Advance Parole, individuals must file Form I-131, Application for Travel Document, which is available in the Related Links section of this page.
Advance Parole is permission to reenter the United States after traveling abroad. Advance Parole is an extraordinary measure used sparingly to allow an otherwise inadmissible individual to enter the United States due to compelling circumstances. By law, certain individuals must apply for a travel document and have Advance Parole approved before leaving the United States. Attempts to reenter the United States without prior authorization may have severe consequences since individuals requiring advance parole may be unable to return to the United States and their pending applications may be denied or administratively closed.
Applicants planning travel abroad should plan ahead since applicants can anticipate processing times of about 90 days, depending on the USCIS office location. Instructions for filing Form I-131 provide details on where to mail travel document applications and should be followed carefully to avoid delay. For more information on Advance Parole see How Do I Get a Travel Document? (also in the Related Links) and instructions for Form I-131. Read the rest of this entry »
USCIS is announcing that applicants may experience up to an eight week delay in the delivery of their permanent resident card while they are in the process of upgrading our card production equipment. USCIS Field Offices will be issuing temporary evidence of permanent residence in the form of an I-551 stamp to applicants approved for permanent residence at the time of their interview. You will need to take your passport to your appointment. If you do not have a passport, you must bring a passport style photo and government issued photo identification to receive temporary evidence of permanent residence.
If the application is approved subsequent to your interview or by a Service Center or the National Benefit Center, the applicant should bring the above documents to an INFOPASS appointment to be issued temporary evidence of permanent residence in the form of an I-551 stamp.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), through its International Operations Division, recently opened a new support branch in Anaheim, Calif. to assist in processing select paper-based applications and petitions received from its international offices.
Background
The International Adjudications Support Branch (IASB) provides USCIS with greater operational flexibility to address seasonal and periodic fluctuations in the workload of the overseas international offices throughout the year. The IASB also provides USCIS with a ready team of trained staff available to travel overseas to support operations on an as-needed basis. While the support branch will not accept in-person appointments, it will provide invaluable customer service by significantly reducing processing times and allowing officers in international offices to schedule more appointments with customers and perform other operational duties.
Questions and Answers
Q: What types of cases does the support branch process? A. Initially, the IASB will focus its efforts on adjudicating non-health related applications to waive grounds of inadmissibility, (Form I-601) from USCIS’ office in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.
Q: May a USCIS customer file a Form I-601 waiver application directly with the IASB? A. No, customers must continue to file their waiver applications with USCIS at the U.S. Consulate having jurisdiction over their place of residence.
Q: Will the new branch accept in-person inquiries? A: No, the IASB is not open to the public for in-person inquiries.
Q: How will a customer know if USCIS has transferred their case to the IASB? A: USCIS will mail customers a notice when the agency transfers their case to the IASB.
Q: Why is the new branch located at the Los Angeles Asylum Office? A: By maximizing available office space, the support branch was able to immediately stand-up operations and process cases. In addition, the shared facility is close to the Los Angeles international Airport, offering easy access to international cities and simplifying the travel of staff overseas when necessary.
Q: How may the public contact the IASB? A: The public may contact the IASB by mail to:P.O. Box 65006, Anaheim CA 92815-5006, or by e-mail to: iopsla@fins3.dhs.gov.
WASHINGTON — U.S. Citizenship and Immigrations Services (USCIS) published a Federal Register notice on April 28, 2009 that changed the filing location and filing instructions for the Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (Form I-90). The revised filing instructions require applicants to submit supporting documentation with their applications. Prior to this change, applicants were instructed to bring their supporting documentation to their biometrics appointments. The notice also revises the Direct Mail address for the Form I-90. Applicants must now file their Form I-90 and supporting documentation with the USCIS Lockbox facility in Phoenix.
This change in filing location affects all I-90 applicants filing a paper form, including those applicants filing the I-90 because their previously issued card was never received or because their existing card has incorrect data due to a USCIS error. This notice does not affect applicants filing an I-90 electronically or whose place of residence is outside the United States.
Beginning on April 28, 2009, applicants must submit their Form I-90 and supporting documentation to the USCIS Lockbox facility in Phoenix for initial processing, using the following addresses:
USCIS
P.O. Box 21262
Phoenix, AZ 85036
For USPS Express Mail and Courier Service deliveries, use the following address:
USCIS
ATTN: I-90
1820 Skyharbor Circle S Floor 1
Phoenix. AZ 85034
Fewer people are joining the long line for U.S. citizenship these days, following a surge of applications two years ago.
More than 1 million immigrants took the oath of citizenship in the year leading up to the 2008 presidential election, and another 330,000 are still waiting for approval. The big wave came just before the government’s application fee jumped to $675 from $400 in July 2007. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services says it has worked to clear the backlog that resulted, and is now receiving surprisingly low numbers of new applicants.
Immigrants are generally eligible for citizenship once they have completed five years of permanent residency, or “green card” status. There are signs that the bad economy may be causing some to hold off.
“Receipts have not picked up as fast as we thought they would,” said Donald Neufeld, a top official at the agency, during a visit to New York last week.
WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that, working in close partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the backlog for FBI name checks pending more than six months has been eliminated. This is the fourth milestone met by the agency as part of its joint plan with the FBI to completely eliminate the backlog of pending name checks.
Just 16 months ago, more than 349,000 name checks were pending; of that, nearly 150,000 had been pending for more than six months. All USCIS requests pending for six months or more as of February 28, 2009, have now been responded to by the FBI’s National Name Check Program (NNCP).
In April 2008, USCIS and the FBI established milestones prioritizing work based on the age of the pending name check. Priorities included processing all name checks pending more than three years by May 2008 (the FBI had already eliminated all cases pending more than four years); those pending more than two years by July 2008; and those pending more than one year by November 2008.
USCIS and FBI are on schedule to meet the next two goals: all name checks requests pending longer than 90 days to be completed by May 30, 2009 and, by the end of June 2009, the FBI will complete 98 percent of USCIS name check requests within 30 days and process the remaining two percent within three months. USCIS and the FBI will continue to focus on sustaining a rigorous and efficient screening of each name check request.
Elimination of the name check backlog is an example of USCIS’ commitment to making timely decisions about immigration applications and petitions, while maintaining the security and integrity of America’s immigration system.
MAHWAH, N.J. — A northern New Jersey widow’s fight to get her green card after the death of her husband could have a big impact on similar cases around the nation.
Mahwah resident Osserritta Robinson is an immigrant from Jamaica whose husband, a U.S. citizen, died in the 2003 Staten Island Ferry crash.
Immigration officials denied her green card application because the couple had been married eight months instead of the required two years.
An appeals court upheld the decision, but Robinson’s attorney tells The Record of Bergen County that he’s petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court.
An advocacy group, Surviving Spouses Against Deportation, says 170 widows and widowers face deportation because their citizen spouses died before two years of marriage.
IRVING, Texas — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services must prepare for the challenge an immigration reform plan would pose, the agency’s current leader said Wednesday.
During the opening of a new sprawling USCIS district office in the Dallas suburb of Irving, acting deputy director Michael Aytes pointed out such facilities are among the improvements the agency can make to get ready for additional workload if lawmakers reform immigration policies.
“Every day that goes by is a day that we lose if were not doing something to better position ourselves for that reality when it happens,” Aytes said.
USCIS staffers are already trying to work through a backlog of applications of people seeking citizenship, green cards and other services.
In the North Texas district, applications for naturalization are 2 1/2 months behind than the desired goal of five months to process. Petitions to become a legal permanent resident, or green card holder, are behind four to five months, officials said.
While the agency has to focus on the current tasks and customers, it also must continue to invest in building new facilities, develop better case management systems and improve how services are delivered, Aytes said.
“All of those things we’ll help us to better prepare for whatever challenge we’re asked to accept,” he said.
President Barack Obama has said he is committed to comprehensive immigration reform. Latino lawmakers and advocates continue pushing for changes in U.S. immigration policy, including proposals to create a path for citizenship for the estimated 12 million immigrants in the nation illegally.
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