USCIS’s application-processing  procedures vary by application type and by office. USCIS Estimated a Backlog of About 1.2 Million Unadjudicated Applications as of June 30, 2005

As of June 30, 2005, USCIS estimated it had about 1.2 million cases  remaining in its backlog, down from 3.7 million at the end of fiscal year  2003. According to USCIS, the data management systems it currently uses to  manage its backlog elimination efforts cannot comprehensively produce  data to measure and track the time that all applications have been  pending, and therefore the agency cannot readily retrieve information on  the number of applications that have been pending for more than 180 days,  as specified in the definition of backlog in the Immigration Services and  Infrastructure Improvements Act of 2000. In addition to its efforts to reduce the backlog by  September 30, 2006, the agency has developed a staffing allocation model  and is planning a major transformation of its information technology  systems to prevent future backlogs. However, it is still in the early stages of planning. Despite Progress, USCIS Seems Unlikely to Eliminate the Backlog for All Application Types in Every Office by September 30, 2006

Although USCIS has made progress in reducing its backlog of benefit  applications as it defines backlog, it seems unlikely that USCIS will meet  its September 30, 2006, goal of reducing the number of pending  applications to a level no greater than the previous 6 months’ receipts for  every form type at every office. Furthermore, although USCIS  officials have stated that the agency has sufficient staff resources to  process its overall projected workload by the end of fiscal year 2006, in  certain offices, where the volume of applications exceeds adjudicator staff  capacity, the backlog may remain. Other Factors May Hinder USCIS’s Ability to Complete Certain Applications within 6 Months

Factors beyond the agency’s control could prevent some applications from  being adjudicated within 6 months. Legislative Changes

USCIS officials noted that its current backlog elimination plan is based on  the assumption that the agency will continue to operate under current  laws. The other program  measures both compliance with standard operating procedures and the  reasonableness of adjudicator decisions for selected application types. USCIS’s Agencywide Quality Assurance Program Tracks Process Compliance for Two Application Types

USCIS’s Performance Management Division administers an agencywide  quality assurance program, which reviews adjudicator compliance with  selected processes for adjudicating 2 of the 15 major application types:  applications for naturalization and for adjustment of status to lawful  permanent resident. For this review, a sample of case files is selected and independently  reviewed by the quality assurance unit. The agency has not identified  these potential effects in its staffing and technology plans. We also spoke  with the USCIS Chief Information Officer and officials in the Office of the  Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman. To determine the actions USCIS has taken to eliminate the backlog of  applications and prevent future backlogs, we reviewed USCIS’s planning  documents on the agency’s staffing, budget, and information technology  modernization. However, we did not  independently verify the extent and quality of supervisory review.
Why GAO Did This Study

Long-standing backlogs of immigration benefit applications result in delays for immigrants, their families, and prospective employers who participate in the legal immigration process. In response to a statutory mandate to eliminate the backlog, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) set a goal of September 30, 2006, to eliminate the backlog and adjudicate all applications within 6 months. This report examines (1) the status of the backlog, (2) actions to achieve backlog elimination and prevent future backlogs, (3) the likelihood of eliminating the backlog by the deadline, and (4) USCIS's quality assurance programs to achieve consistency of decisions while eliminating its backlog.

What GAO Found

By June 2005, USCIS estimated it had reduced its backlog from a peak of 3.8 million cases to about 1.2 million. However, this estimate is not a measure of the number of pending cases older than 6 months--the definition of backlog used by the Immigration Services and Infrastructure Improvements Act of 2000. USCIS's current data systems cannot provide precise data on the age of all application types. A proposed technology transformation offers an opportunity to develop a case management system with this capability. USCIS has reduced its backlog mainly by increasing and realigning staff. To prevent future backlogs, USCIS will rely on additional staffing reallocation and technology transformation. However, the technology plan is in the early planning stages, and USCIS has not finalized its estimated cost or identified the gains it could yield. Despite progress, it is unlikely that USCIS will completely eliminate the backlog by the 2006 deadline. While it met fiscal year 2006 targets for half of the 15 backlogged application types, USCIS may have difficulty eliminating its backlog for two complex application types that constitute nearly three-quarters of the backlog. A backlog may also remain in offices where the volume of cases exceeds adjudicator staff capacity. Other factors, such as lengthy background checks, could also hinder USCIS's ability to achieve and maintain its backlog elimination goals. USCIS officials noted that its current plan is premised on current legislation and would be affected by proposed legislative changes that could impose additional demands on the agency. Aside from regular supervisory review, USCIS operates two programs to ensure the quality of its postadjudication decisions, yet neither program provides a systematic and inclusive review of all application types. One program reviews adjudicators' compliance with standard processes for two application types, and the other evaluates compliance with standard processes and the reasonableness of decisions rendered, but only for selected applications processed in four centers.