Does anybody know how they work? First in -First out??

[rov 7]

I have seen approvals jumping all over the place. From Dec to Jan and even some late Feb's.

Does anybody know how USCIS stores the documents and how they decide what case(s) are next?

[Dave&Roza 748]

I have seen approvals jumping all over the place. From Dec to Jan and even some late Feb's.

Does anybody know how USCIS stores the documents and how they decide what case(s) are next?

Based on what I've seen on the VJ website about people's approvals. I would say the process is something like this.

The petition or application arrives and it is checked for proper information and payment and assigned a case number. It is placed into a box with all the other same type of application or petitions processed by that person. That box goes into a storage location until is comes to the front of the line. That box is then given to a USCIS worker and they begin processing those applications/petitions. It would apprear they sort by types of petions and applications and process certain types in batches and then switch and then switch again. This is like coming up to the check-out line in a grocery store. There are long lines and short ones. Some times the long line goes faster becuase it is a lot of people with 5 items. The short line has someone paying a $22.34 bill with quaters, dimes, nickels, and $5 worth of pennies. So while it tries to be a FIFO system there are the variables of who is in front of you and whether the worker that got assigned your box goes on vacation for three weeks. Not sure why our box got picked over earlier Feb filers as I was expecting another month at least before our ROC was approved. What I do not understand is those that filed in April of 2013 and get approved in June of 2013 and others have been waiting for 6-8 months )this happens more with teh I-129F than other, but it is still a puzzle of why it happens).

Dave

[rov 7]

That is a great way to see it.

I still wonder why they dont just scan everything then it would be easier and more organized.

I do wanna believe they do their best and that they care about all cases.....

[Bayareaguy 156]

I do wanna believe they do their best and that they care about all cases.....

[stevie b 141]

I have seen approvals jumping all over the place. From Dec to Jan and even some late Feb's.

Does anybody know how USCIS stores the documents and how they decide what case(s) are next?

actually depends on the file type and how it gets routed

[ngo3361 8]

Based on what I've seen on the VJ website about people's approvals. I would say the process is something like this.

The petition or application arrives and it is checked for proper information and payment and assigned a case number. It is placed into a box with all the other same type of application or petitions processed by that person. That box goes into a storage location until is comes to the front of the line. That box is then given to a USCIS worker and they begin processing those applications/petitions.

Dave

I agree with you on this.

Then, let's say the Officer open the 1st box which contains December filers. So, he/she approved some and requested RFE for others. He/she then went to a 2nd box, say, contains January filers. The process probably continue like this which might explain why December and January filers (even some February filers) were approved about the same time.

[rov 7]

wouldn't you think that they will try to finish all Dec before starting January. Same for January- Finish them all before moving to Feb.

It's called being organized and having a process....it's just frustrating (dont mean to offend anyone) when someone who file after you gets approved first.

I mean when you make a line you arrive as soon as possible so you get taken care of first.......and you don't expect to jump in-front of the line....I dont know GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE in this process!!!!

[ngo3361 8]

wouldn't you think that they will try to finish all Dec before starting January. Same for January- Finish them all before moving to Feb.

It's called being organized and having a process....it's just frustrating (dont mean to offend anyone) when someone who file after you gets approved first.

I mean when you make a line you arrive as soon as possible so you get taken care of first.......and you don't expect to jump in-front of the line....I dont know GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE in this process!!!!

Well, let's say USCIS received 1,000 (say form I-751) from December filers, then divided those files into 10 boxes and give to 10 Officers. Each Officer has his/her own way to approve or request RFE. Then that particular Officer finished processing his box, he will probably not going to jump to another Officer's box (for the December filers). I would think the Officer then went to his next box, which will probably the January filers.

Just my opinion.

[rov 7]

makes sense

[TBoneTX 43,290]

*** Thread moved from Removing Conditions forum to USCIS Service Centers forum -- topic is general and applies to processing practices. ***

[rjm_cmyk 75]

Experience would suggest the process is very manual and very much based on the handling of paper files. There is certainly no element of FIFO .

I'd always imagined it as big pile of files in manilla envelopes stacked in those plastic crates you see in Walmart for storing kids toys. Guys walk in and grab a crate and work through it. Crates are unlabelled/undated of course.

Now of course it may be that they have a super duper completely digital system but the end result is the same. Fairly random processing.

[vbtwo 54]

Especially for files that were transferred to TSC from VSC, the approvals have followed no order whatsoever. Looks like the boxes got all mixed up in the transfer and they're not treating them as 2 months of petitions, but really as if they all got sent in on the same day and the approvals are all over the place. Middle of January can get approved before early December. There are people getting approved on the same day who filed on Dec 10, Dec 25, and Jan 15, while people who filed on Dec 5 can still be waiting.

This is making people a lot more pissed off at the USCIS than if they would do it in order. Even if doing it in order might mean that your approval will come a little later, at least you know when to expect it. This way it's just a random guessing game and every day you hope that you win the approval lottery, and then get depressed when you see 5 people who filed after you get approved and you're still waiting.

[Lottry 14]

LOOKING AT IT THIS WAY MAKES SENSE TO ME, THANKS

[Nana098 18]

I think when they receive our package, they look if all is in order with the instructions, next is assigned an officer and he recheck all documents and issue the extention letter and a few days later they assign the biometric appt. (Not was my case, I'm still waiting for).

And if our packet has more than one form, each one is assigned a diferent officer. An Uscis officer told me that.

[lonelywithouthim1 36]

Based on what I've seen on the VJ website about people's approvals. I would say the process is something like this.

The petition or application arrives and it is checked for proper information and payment and assigned a case number. It is placed into a box with all the other same type of application or petitions processed by that person. That box goes into a storage location until is comes to the front of the line. That box is then given to a USCIS worker and they begin processing those applications/petitions. It would apprear they sort by types of petions and applications and process certain types in batches and then switch and then switch again. This is like coming up to the check-out line in a grocery store. There are long lines and short ones. Some times the long line goes faster becuase it is a lot of people with 5 items. The short line has someone paying a $22.34 bill with quaters, dimes, nickels, and $5 worth of pennies. So while it tries to be a FIFO system there are the variables of who is in front of you and whether the worker that got assigned your box goes on vacation for three weeks. Not sure why our box got picked over earlier Feb filers as I was expecting another month at least before our ROC was approved. What I do not understand is those that filed in April of 2013 and get approved in June of 2013 and others have been waiting for 6-8 months )this happens more with teh I-129F than other, but it is still a puzzle of why it happens).

Dave

I have been going crazy trying to understand the order of how they do it. I have looked at receipt numbers before mine and after to come up with some kind of understanding as to where I may stand. I would say your explanation makes more sense to me. It doesn't make the waiting any easier, this process is a nightmare!!!!!!! Thanks