iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
There is hope yet for the US immigration hopefuls. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a government agency that oversees lawful immigration to the United States, in its progress report for fiscal year 2022, has held out hope for wannabe immigrants who are still waiting for their applications to be processed.
In its progress report, USCIS releases new information to demonstrate how it reduced backlogs in certain programs and supported humanitarian missions. The report summarizes numerous steps USCIS has taken, which include strengthening its fiscal stability, and implementing adjudicatory efficiencies, policy measures, and agency-wide backlog reduction efforts. At the same time, USCIS has continued to meet the extraordinary demands of its humanitarian programs, upholding America’s promise as a nation of welcome and possibility.
USCIS states in its report: “Thanks to the commitment and dedication of the USCIS workforce, as well as crucial appropriations from Congress, in FY 2022 the agency welcomed more than 1 million new U.S. citizens. This represents a 62 percent reduction in the net backlog of naturalization applications (Form N-400) from the end of FY 2021 to FY 2022, and the highest number of naturalized citizens in almost 15 years.”
Together, USCIS and the Department of State issued all available employment-based immigrant visas in FY 2022 – double the pre-pandemic number. This was an all-hands-on-deck effort across the agency given that any unused visas at the end of the fiscal year would become unavailable starting on October 1, 2022, the start of FY 2023. In the final quarter, USCIS worked cases 7 days a week to effectively address pending applications. This surge of overtime resources was made possible by congressional appropriations specifically directed for backlog reduction efforts.
“USCIS is committed to eliminating unnecessary barriers, restoring faith in the immigration system, and improving transparency, efficiency, and customer experience. This Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Progress Report highlights new data illustrating both progress and challenges in fulfilling the agency’s mission. Crucial appropriations by Congress in FY 2022 supported recent progress on both backlog reduction and humanitarian services. Continued congressional support is critical to eliminate current net backlogs and achieve a robust humanitarian mission, while a new fee rule will help prevent the accumulation of additional backlogs in the future,” USCIS says in its report.
In the months ahead, the agency plans to build on this progress by implementing premium processing for all petitions for immigrant workers (Form I-140) and certain employment authorization applications (Form I-765) for students and exchange visitors; establishing a permanent biometrics exemption for all applicants for change of nonimmigrant status and extension of nonimmigrant stay (Form I-539); and simplifying several common forms, including the applications for employment authorization (Form I-765), adjustment of status (Form I-485), and naturalization (Form N-400).
In addition, the report highlights upcoming steps to advance the USCIS humanitarian mission, including online filing and notices, new rulemaking, and increased staffing and public engagement.
“Every immigration case entrusted to us represents an individual or a family seeking to build a better life in the United States,” said USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou. “We have made measurable progress towards building a more humane immigration system thanks to the innovation and dedication of the USCIS workforce. There is more work to do, especially to reduce processing times for all people we serve, and congressional support is critical to achieving our ambitious backlog reduction goals in the year ahead.”
The report also explains the increase in backlogs during the pandemic. It highlights how furlough notices, a hiring freeze, and drastic cuts to contract staff during the COVID-19 critically impacted USCIS’ ability to keep pace with incoming applications, heightening the need for USCIS to pursue an upcoming fee rule to prevent the accumulation of new backlogs in the future.
Backed by crucial fiscal support from Congress, USCIS restored fiscal stability and turned the tide on backlog growth by surging hiring and establishing an agency-wide focus on operational efficiency. In FY 2022, in coordination with the Department of State, the agency utilized more than 281,000 employment-based visas, twice the typical statutory annual allotment. This was made possible due to the large number of family-sponsored visas that remained unused in FY 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the first year of the Biden-Harris Administration, USCIS was able to lift the hiring freeze and began the lengthy process of recruiting and hiring back to authorized levels. USCIS has returned to firmer fiscal footing, with cash reserves well on their way to the designated target level, to ensure the agency avoids another fiscal crisis. Effective management of current reserves, combined with the implementation of an upcoming new fee rule, will allow USCIS to continue the hiring surge, enhance technology investments, and seek further operational improvements to achieve greater efficiency and improve customer service throughout the agency.
In its 2022 report, USCIS also has highlighted that it expanded its existing humanitarian mission and responded to emerging priorities for the US government, such as Operation Allies Welcome, Uniting for Ukraine, and the recently announced Process for Venezuelans. The agency surged resources to effectively address its humanitarian responsibilities, which led to the issuance of more than 92,000 work permits for Afghan nationals, many of whom worked alongside us in Afghanistan for the past two decades; the adjudication of benefits to facilitate Afghan resettlement in the United States, such as asylum and special immigrant status; and the issuance of nearly 120,000 travel authorizations to Ukrainian nationals and their immediate family members who were impacted by Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
USCIS Makes New Commitments for FY 2023
In the coming months, USCIS is prepared to build on this progress by:
- Implementing premium processing for all employer petitions for immigrant workers (Form I-140) and certain EAD applications for students and exchange visitors (Form I-765).
- Removing the requirement to submit biometrics for applicants for change and extension of nonimmigrant status (Form I-539).
- Simplifying several major forms, including the applications for EADs (Form I-765), adjustment of status (Form I-485), and naturalization (Form N-400).