Expect (Even More) USCIS Delays

Please be advised that US Citizenship and Immigration Services has just issued furlough notices to approximately 13,400 of its 18,700 employees, effective as of August 3rd. This furlough is anticipated to last 30 to 90 days, or until they receive a bailout from congress.

These furloughs are nationwide and will no doubt result in longer processing timelines for all immigration cases. This will impact all types of cases process in the US and will have repercussions on US Immigration court proceedings, which often require action by USCIS before action can be taken by the immigration court.

On May 17, USCIS requested $1.2 billion in emergency financial aid from Congress. The USCIS is a fee-funded agency, self-sustained on fees paid by applicants, including in large part US employers. Trump Administration officials assert this budget shortfall is due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the economic downturn caused by it. The number of USCIS filings have significantly decreased, by some estimates of up to 60 percent. Immigration advocates point out that the Agency has shifted its mission, allowing less applications to be filed, and pushed more oversight, lengthier forms, more interviews, and inhibiting US employers from even paying additional sums to expedite their cases. These steps add significant administrative time to the Agency and do not cover the administrative costs to administer them.

We will update this news as further updates are available. In the meantime, further USCIS delays in processing appear inevitable.

If you have any questions or concerns on your case, please do not hesitate to contact our office.