pappu
02-02 02:54 PM
House Immigration Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Naturalization
On January 17, the House Immigration Subcommittee held its first oversight hearing of the year, and the subject was the naturalization processing backlogs. Due to a confluence of factors, including a very significant fee increase that went into effect on July 30, 2007, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) received approximately double the number of naturalization applications in its Fiscal Year 2007 than it had during the previous year. USCIS is saying that, as of now, anyone who applied for naturalization after June 1, 2007, can expect to wait 16 to 18 months to have their application processed.
Remarks by Subcommittee Members
In her opening comment, Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Chair of the Subcommittee, noted that one year ago, the Subcommittee had a hearing on the proposed fee increase, and was told by USCIS that it need the fee increase to increase efficiency. At the time, the processing time for citizenship applications was six months.
Representative Steve King (R-IA), the ranking Republican on the Subcommittee, played the role of immigration historian. In his opening statement (and in his questioning), he focused almost exclusively on the INS� Citizenship USA program of ten years ago�back in the day before computers were standard issue in the immigration agency. In that effort to deal with a naturalization backlog, some applicants were granted citizenship before criminal background checks were completed, and some who received citizenship were found later not to be eligible. (Since then, however, much more stringent processes have been put in place to screen applications for naturalization. And the agency now does have computers.)
USCIS Director Emilio Gonzalez
Emilio Gonzalez, Director of USCIS, gave some background on the development of the backlog and summarized what USCIS was doing about it. During June, July, and August of last year, USCIS received three million immigration benefit applications of all kinds. Their first priority was issuing receipts for those applications. Next, they processed and sent work authorizations, which they are required to do within 90 days.
In the meantime, a large number of naturalization applications piled up. To deal with the extra workload, USCIS is hiring 1,500 new employees (in addition to the extra staff they planned to hire after the new fees went into effect). The agency is also re-hiring former (retired) employees. While waiting for the additional staff to be trained and deployed, the agency will be asking current staff to work overtime, using budgeted overtime early in the Fiscal Year.
Other steps are also being taken. Still, Mr. Gonzalez noted (in his written testimony) that it will take until the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2010 before the agency is back to a six-month processing time.
During the question and answer session, there was a fair amount of discussion about a portion of the backlog that preceded the surge in applications and was caused by a delay in the background checks conducted by the FBI. Some individuals have been in limbo for well over a year waiting for clearance from the FBI, and Mr. Gonzalez noted that last year more than 5,000 lawsuits were filed against the agency�80% on the FBI name check delays. The FBI, he said, has a paper-based system that is only beginning to be addressed. For now, it takes people to handle the files. The FBI has brought on some additional contract personnel and full-time employees to work on this problem.
Rep. Lofgren said that she would ask the FBI to come before the Subcommittee to explain its perspective on the name check delays. [Subsequently, we were told that the full Judiciary Committee will have a hearing with the FBI on a range of issues, including the name check issue.]
Non-Government Witnesses
Also testifying at the hearing were Arturo Vargas, Director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials and Fred Tsao, Policy Director for the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. Mr. Vargas said that his organization kept USCIS apprised of its efforts to get immigrants to become citizens and the agency should have taken that information, plus experience with past fee increases, into account to take steps to be better prepared for the surge in applications. NALEO is recommending that the agency focus sufficiently on reducing the backlog so that all immigrants who applied for naturalization in Fiscal Year 2007 (which ended September 30, 2007) are sworn in as citizens by July 4, 2008. Otherwise, many immigrants who applied for citizenship last summer will not be able to vote in the elections this November.
Mr. Tsao echoed the point about USCIS having ample information that a surge in applications was coming. He recommended that USCIS (and the FBI) report regularly to the Subcommittee regarding progress being made on reducing the backlog.
In concluding the hearing, Rep. Lofgren suggested that she might also conduct a hearing on the agency�s information technology.
Additional Information
In a subsequent meeting with community-based organizations, Michael Aytes, Associate Director for Domestic Operations of USCIS, gave some additional specifics on the status of the naturalization backlogs. He noted that the total number of new employees being hired will be approximately 3,000�between the additional staff they are hiring to deal with the backlog and the extra staff being paid for by the fee increases. Regarding the FBI name check issue, he noted that, during the House hearing, every member of the Subcommittee�Republican and Democrat�inquired about the name check issue, and that this issue is now being dealt with at high levels both in the Justice Department (in which the FBI is located) and in DHS. He indicated that decisions have been made on the hiring of many of the new adjudicators that are being brought on board, but training and placement are still weeks away, at least.
He also said that the agency is starting Saturday and evening interviews, and applicants should be encouraged to make every effort to show up for their interviews.
On January 17, the House Immigration Subcommittee held its first oversight hearing of the year, and the subject was the naturalization processing backlogs. Due to a confluence of factors, including a very significant fee increase that went into effect on July 30, 2007, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) received approximately double the number of naturalization applications in its Fiscal Year 2007 than it had during the previous year. USCIS is saying that, as of now, anyone who applied for naturalization after June 1, 2007, can expect to wait 16 to 18 months to have their application processed.
Remarks by Subcommittee Members
In her opening comment, Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Chair of the Subcommittee, noted that one year ago, the Subcommittee had a hearing on the proposed fee increase, and was told by USCIS that it need the fee increase to increase efficiency. At the time, the processing time for citizenship applications was six months.
Representative Steve King (R-IA), the ranking Republican on the Subcommittee, played the role of immigration historian. In his opening statement (and in his questioning), he focused almost exclusively on the INS� Citizenship USA program of ten years ago�back in the day before computers were standard issue in the immigration agency. In that effort to deal with a naturalization backlog, some applicants were granted citizenship before criminal background checks were completed, and some who received citizenship were found later not to be eligible. (Since then, however, much more stringent processes have been put in place to screen applications for naturalization. And the agency now does have computers.)
USCIS Director Emilio Gonzalez
Emilio Gonzalez, Director of USCIS, gave some background on the development of the backlog and summarized what USCIS was doing about it. During June, July, and August of last year, USCIS received three million immigration benefit applications of all kinds. Their first priority was issuing receipts for those applications. Next, they processed and sent work authorizations, which they are required to do within 90 days.
In the meantime, a large number of naturalization applications piled up. To deal with the extra workload, USCIS is hiring 1,500 new employees (in addition to the extra staff they planned to hire after the new fees went into effect). The agency is also re-hiring former (retired) employees. While waiting for the additional staff to be trained and deployed, the agency will be asking current staff to work overtime, using budgeted overtime early in the Fiscal Year.
Other steps are also being taken. Still, Mr. Gonzalez noted (in his written testimony) that it will take until the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2010 before the agency is back to a six-month processing time.
During the question and answer session, there was a fair amount of discussion about a portion of the backlog that preceded the surge in applications and was caused by a delay in the background checks conducted by the FBI. Some individuals have been in limbo for well over a year waiting for clearance from the FBI, and Mr. Gonzalez noted that last year more than 5,000 lawsuits were filed against the agency�80% on the FBI name check delays. The FBI, he said, has a paper-based system that is only beginning to be addressed. For now, it takes people to handle the files. The FBI has brought on some additional contract personnel and full-time employees to work on this problem.
Rep. Lofgren said that she would ask the FBI to come before the Subcommittee to explain its perspective on the name check delays. [Subsequently, we were told that the full Judiciary Committee will have a hearing with the FBI on a range of issues, including the name check issue.]
Non-Government Witnesses
Also testifying at the hearing were Arturo Vargas, Director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials and Fred Tsao, Policy Director for the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. Mr. Vargas said that his organization kept USCIS apprised of its efforts to get immigrants to become citizens and the agency should have taken that information, plus experience with past fee increases, into account to take steps to be better prepared for the surge in applications. NALEO is recommending that the agency focus sufficiently on reducing the backlog so that all immigrants who applied for naturalization in Fiscal Year 2007 (which ended September 30, 2007) are sworn in as citizens by July 4, 2008. Otherwise, many immigrants who applied for citizenship last summer will not be able to vote in the elections this November.
Mr. Tsao echoed the point about USCIS having ample information that a surge in applications was coming. He recommended that USCIS (and the FBI) report regularly to the Subcommittee regarding progress being made on reducing the backlog.
In concluding the hearing, Rep. Lofgren suggested that she might also conduct a hearing on the agency�s information technology.
Additional Information
In a subsequent meeting with community-based organizations, Michael Aytes, Associate Director for Domestic Operations of USCIS, gave some additional specifics on the status of the naturalization backlogs. He noted that the total number of new employees being hired will be approximately 3,000�between the additional staff they are hiring to deal with the backlog and the extra staff being paid for by the fee increases. Regarding the FBI name check issue, he noted that, during the House hearing, every member of the Subcommittee�Republican and Democrat�inquired about the name check issue, and that this issue is now being dealt with at high levels both in the Justice Department (in which the FBI is located) and in DHS. He indicated that decisions have been made on the hiring of many of the new adjudicators that are being brought on board, but training and placement are still weeks away, at least.
He also said that the agency is starting Saturday and evening interviews, and applicants should be encouraged to make every effort to show up for their interviews.
levelup3
12-19 10:24 AM
Thanks for all your post
chi_shark
07-07 05:58 PM
Thanks for reply, if you don't mind, do you have the USCISs' announcement link about this pre-adjudication ? Does it say those who pre-adjudicated will not get any future RFE/Denials ?
that, my friend, is a million dollar question!
that, my friend, is a million dollar question!
kaisersose
07-26 11:08 AM
The upper portion is not required for visa stamping either. The bottom portion has all the info required.
But in general, people carry the entire 797.
But in general, people carry the entire 797.
more...
bmeduru11
11-09 01:50 PM
Can you tell me ur category (EB2 or EB3) and RFE received date?
EB2 with Nov'04 priority date
EB2 with Nov'04 priority date
Jimi_Hendrix
12-13 11:42 AM
this is simple. Enforcement results will show that illegal people are bigger threat when they are illegal. Guess what the remedy is, legalize them aka CIR.
I am ready to hear this on the local news "Latest research shows that legalizing the undocumented workers is actually better for the american public" :p
I am ready to hear this on the local news "Latest research shows that legalizing the undocumented workers is actually better for the american public" :p
more...
superdude
07-19 01:18 AM
My lawyer sent me the fedex tracking sheet for the I-485 package sent to:
USCIS
Nebraska Service Center
850 S Street
Lincoln, NE 68508
I did not see any PO Box on the Fedex tracking sheet. I am not sure if she put the PO Box on the shipping label or not??
Is it a big deal?? Will my application be accepted.
Please help
It is avery common address. Track the shipment via SedEx, It will be delivered.
USCIS
Nebraska Service Center
850 S Street
Lincoln, NE 68508
I did not see any PO Box on the Fedex tracking sheet. I am not sure if she put the PO Box on the shipping label or not??
Is it a big deal?? Will my application be accepted.
Please help
It is avery common address. Track the shipment via SedEx, It will be delivered.
sajidmd
02-01 10:44 AM
It doesn't take long... encourage everyone to do it so that we can be considered for the list next time.
more...
greyhair
01-29 10:02 PM
There is no issue with going for fingerprinting after getting GC. So no big deal if that is your concern. They will not cancel your daughter's green card just because she went for fingerprinting responding to the notice received from USCIS. Don't think too much. Your GC might be in the pipeline. In the meantime, relax and enjoy the wait time.
adi787
08-29 05:57 PM
Hello RamK
Can you please let me know, what you did finally?
I'm in the same boat.
awaiting for your reply.
Can you please let me know, what you did finally?
I'm in the same boat.
awaiting for your reply.
more...
glus
04-15 02:24 PM
In employment-based immigration, an I140 is an immigrant petition according to the law. So most likely INS will determinate one must work for 3 years before the I140 is filed. Many people think that an immigrant petition means filing for I485, but I don't think that the case. I140 is the immigrant petition.
I am not an attorney.
G
I am not an attorney.
G
VivekAhuja
02-18 06:53 PM
Your lawyer does not know what he is talking about. There is no need to do anything. If you were on H1-B and still working at the same company, you are still under H1-B not under EAD no matter how you entered the USA.
You will lose H1B status if and ONLY IF, you use EAD.
AP is only a re-entry permit and has no effect on your immigration status.
You will lose H1B status if and ONLY IF, you use EAD.
AP is only a re-entry permit and has no effect on your immigration status.
more...
manderson
03-05 04:41 PM
with Hillary winning Texas on the back of Lations and McCain finalizing the nomination, logic says stupidity like this would hurt the GOP. Siskind floated a scenario like that earlier, but if it's supposed to hurt the GOP, why wouldn't the GOP leadership reign in Sessions et. al.? Maybe I am over-analyzing but I saw this a couple of days ago on how Dem leaders may want to go anti also: http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showpost.php?p=227606&postcount=2049
oh BTW I agree w/ you that this is going down the drain.
This is a classic example of election year posturing where republicans want to look tough on immigration. This bill will head straight down the trash.
oh BTW I agree w/ you that this is going down the drain.
This is a classic example of election year posturing where republicans want to look tough on immigration. This bill will head straight down the trash.
kams
08-08 04:40 PM
Damn, I am in the same boat! PD Dec 2004 RD July 27 2007.:mad:
more...
ss1026
11-04 11:43 AM
Hey this is good news, atleast the crowd will get reduced in chennai consulate :)
Yes, that will help the chennai consulate lines. And it is great for hyderabadis since we don't have to go to chennai, sometimes multiples times for a single stamping.
Yes, that will help the chennai consulate lines. And it is great for hyderabadis since we don't have to go to chennai, sometimes multiples times for a single stamping.
Alabaman
09-07 12:20 PM
Please delete this thread... it is off topic and irritating.
more...
Saralayar
12-12 05:18 PM
Application Type: I485, APPLICATION TO REGISTER PERMANENT RESIDENCE OR TO ADJUST STATUS
Current Status: Case received and file gathering dust waiting for visa number.
On MM DD, YYYY, we received this application and mailed you a document describing how we process it. But you do not need to bother. Our system is so screwed up that we did not know how many cases we had pending. We did not communicate with DOL and DOS properly; so we ended up causing the July Visa Bulletin fiasco, which actually screws up your case even more if you were not one of the lucky applicants to have actually obtained your GC. But your increased fees for EAD & AP renewals have afforded us new janitors, so we will try to keep your files dust free.
P.S : If you are an advanced degree holder born in India. Hahahaha.
GOOD ONE... TIME TO LAUGH AND RELAX.....:D:D;)
Current Status: Case received and file gathering dust waiting for visa number.
On MM DD, YYYY, we received this application and mailed you a document describing how we process it. But you do not need to bother. Our system is so screwed up that we did not know how many cases we had pending. We did not communicate with DOL and DOS properly; so we ended up causing the July Visa Bulletin fiasco, which actually screws up your case even more if you were not one of the lucky applicants to have actually obtained your GC. But your increased fees for EAD & AP renewals have afforded us new janitors, so we will try to keep your files dust free.
P.S : If you are an advanced degree holder born in India. Hahahaha.
GOOD ONE... TIME TO LAUGH AND RELAX.....:D:D;)
seahawks
10-29 01:49 AM
bump...Washingtonians.. please come and join us for the meet!
reddymjm
10-19 05:35 PM
I would donate 500$ if I get the GC before 2012. If not I would reduce it by 50$ a year there after.
grupak
03-25 11:34 AM
Income must be passive type meaning it should not exceed the income which iam getting on my present H1job or anything else which iam missing.
Not sure the precise definition of passive exists. I would take it to be not involved in any business decisions or day-to-day running of the business. Just putting in the money and letting the CEO and the rest make all the decisions as in buying stock is passive. I may be wrong.
Not sure the precise definition of passive exists. I would take it to be not involved in any business decisions or day-to-day running of the business. Just putting in the money and letting the CEO and the rest make all the decisions as in buying stock is passive. I may be wrong.
kiran_k02
01-17 02:53 AM
I got my Visa documents on 15th Jan to Hyderabad, they stamped my visa on 13th Jan. Fortunately I didn't have to wait for long for PIMS update.
FYI: I did not call embassy prior to my interview.
FYI: I did not call embassy prior to my interview.
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