The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently processed an astounding 10 million immigration cases, a significant accomplishment that represents a turning point for the organisation. The success demonstrates USCIS's dedication to effective processing and top-notch customer service and is the first backlog reduction in more than a decade.

Backlog Reduction and Milestones

Setting new records for case completions, USCIS received an astounding 10.9 million files in Fiscal Year 2023 and successfully resolved 10 million pending cases. The agency addressed long-standing concerns about processing delays by achieving a notable 15% reduction in overall backlogs.

Upon passing the Oath of Allegiance, the last stage of the naturalisation procedure, over 878,500 people—including 12,000 military personnel—acquired U.S. citizenship among the cases that were completed. This significant achievement essentially cleared the backlog in naturalisation applications, making it easier for thousands of aspirant Americans to become citizens.

Moreover, the median processing time for applicants seeking naturalisation was drastically lowered by USCIS, from 10.5 months to 6.1 months, improving efficiency and shortening wait times.

Enhancing Customer Experience and Streamlining Processes

USCIS implemented cutting-edge technological technologies to improve customer satisfaction and expedite administrative procedures. The biometrics appointment rescheduling system, among other self-service online tools, enabled the scheduling of approximately 33,000 appointments in FY23 alone.

Furthermore, over 430,000 address changes were completed via the enterprise change of address system, which is expected to result in a 30% decrease in calls to the USCIS Contact Centre. These programmes demonstrate USCIS's dedication to using technology to enhance accessibility and service delivery for applicants and immigrants throughout the immigration process.

Advancements in Employment-Based Immigration and Humanitarian Efforts

Significant progress was made in employment-based immigration and humanitarian measures in FY23. For the second year in a row, USCIS issued more than 192,000 employment-based immigrant visas, exceeding pre-pandemic levels, and made sure that no visa was left unutilized.

To make things easier for noncitizen employees and business owners, the agency also updated and clarified several visa programmes, including as the EB-1 Extraordinary Ability visa and the International Entrepreneur Rule.

Additionally, USCIS conducted over 100,000 refugee interviews, which led to the resettlement of over 60,000 refugees in the United States, demonstrating its dedication to humanitarian missions.

The creation of the Humanitarian, Adjustment, Removing Conditions, and Travel Documents (HART) Service Centre is another example of how committed USCIS is to helping those in need and making necessary immigration services accessible.

FAQS

To what extent does processing 10 million immigration cases represent a major milestone?

It is a remarkable accomplishment for USCIS to process 10 million immigration cases, demonstrating its ability to manage a sizable number of applications and help clear the backlog of cases.

How does USCIS intend to enhance the client experience even more?

By adding organisational accounts and permitting the online submission of some petitions, among other new online filing features, USCIS hopes to improve the user experience. The aforementioned actions are designed to optimise procedures and enhance applicant accessibility.