----- Forwarded Message -----From: U.S. Department of Homeland Security
<departmentofhomelandsecurity@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>To: "wmejia8a@xxxxxxxxx"
<wmejia8a@xxxxxxxxx>Sent: Thursday, June 29, 2017, 3:47:54 PM GMT-5Subject:
Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman's 2017 Annual
Report
| Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman's 2017 Annual Report |
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Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman
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June 29, 2017
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Dear Stakeholder,
The Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman (Ombudsman) is
pleased to announce that we have submitted our 2017 Annual Report to Congress.
The Ombudsman has the statutory mission to assist individuals and employers
with problems with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and make
recommendations to improve the delivery of immigration services. The Ombudsman
is an independent Department of Homeland Security component.
This year’s Report contains:
• An overview of the Ombudsman’s mission and services;
• A review of USCIS programmatic and policy challenges during 2016; and
• A detailed discussion of pervasive problems, recommendations, and best
practices in the humanitarian, employment, and family areas, as well as in
customer service and process integrity.
In 2016, the Ombudsman received 11,917 requests for case assistance, an
increase of 25 percent from 2015. Also in 2016, the Ombudsman conducted 91
stakeholder engagements to better understand and discuss ways to address
concerns about the delivery of immigration services and benefits.
The full 2017 Annual Report can be viewed by selecting the link below.
Annual Report
Key Developments and Areas of Focus
Families
o In FY 2016, USCIS received over 972,000 naturalization applications—nearly
200,000 more than projected—in advance of a scheduled fee increase and U.S.
presidential election; at the same time, it expanded its Transformation
initiative to include electronic processing of naturalization applications.
Technical problems caused by electronic processing created delays for a large
number of naturalization applicants.
o While many of these initial difficulties have been resolved, applicants for
naturalization continue to face delays in obtaining the rights and privileges
of citizenship.
Employment
o Administrative review, through motions to reopen and reconsider to the field
and appeals to the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO), provides individuals
and employers an opportunity to obtain reexamination of a USCIS denial.
o The AAO has made significant improvements to its processing times, completing
most administrative appeals within 180 days; nevertheless, there are a variety
of steps USCIS could take to ensure that administrative review is meaningful
and timelier.
o Congress extended the Immigrant Investor (EB-5) Regional Center Program, most
recently through September 30, 2017, but a series of short-term extensions
triggered filing surges; investors and their dependents from China may have to
wait 10 years or longer for immigrant visas under the EB-5 program.
Humanitarian
o A confluence of factors, including a spike in applications, has led to a
significant backlog of affirmative asylum cases pending before USCIS; by the
end of 2016, more than 223,433 affirmative asylum cases were awaiting
adjudication by USCIS.
o Demand for U nonimmigrant visas is now so high that petitioners and their
family members wait nearly 3 years before placement on the U visa waiting list.
Interagency, Customer Service, and Process Integrity
o USCIS raised filing fees by a weighted average of 21% despite not meeting
prior commitments to processing time goals.
o USCIS is in the midst of a troubled, years-long modernization effort,
referred to as “Transformation,” to move from paper-based to electronic filing,
adjudication, and case management across approximately 90 immigration product
lines. After more than 10 years of work, however, at the end of 2016, USCIS
stakeholders were able to file online consistently for just two immigration
benefits.
The full 2017 Annual Report can be viewed by selecting the link below.
Annual Report
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