US authorities have recently revealed that waiting times for several important immigration procedures for foreigners arriving in the United States had a considerable reduction during fiscal year 2023, according to data shared by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). for its acronym in English).
This occurs in the midst of a very busy period, as USCIS officials managed to resolve just over 10 million cases of forms submitted by migrants in their offices around the country.
In this regard, Ur M. Jaddou, director of USCIS, said she was proud of the government agency’s workforce, as well as their dedication.
“We have completed a record number of cases, responded to emerging crises around the world with essential humanitarian aid and applied innovative solutions to improve the customer experience and reduce delays,” he said.
According to hard data shared by USCIS, its statistics show significant reductions in processing times for many key forms for migrants beginning their lives in the country.
One of those that drew the most attention was the processing time of Form N-400, which is important for those applying for nationality, and is now at 5.7 months, exceeding the planned expectations of lowering it to six months in last fiscal year.
USCIS forms with new wait times
| Form | Form Description | Percentage change | Meta | End of Fiscal Year 2022 | |
| 1-129 | Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker (Premium) | 2 weeks | 0.2 | 0.2 | n/a |
| I-140 | Immigrant Petition for Foreign Workers (Premium) | 2 weeks | 0.5 | 0.5 | n/a |
| 1-129 | Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker (Non-Premium) | 2 months | 2.7 | 2.6 | -5% |
| 1-765 | Employment Authorization Application (excluding DACA) | 6.8 months | 4.6 | -32% | 3 months |
| 1-131 | Travel Document Request – Advance Permit | 8.8 months | 8.7 | -1% | 3 months |
| 1-539 | Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status | 9.6 months | 2.7 | -72% | 3 months |
| 1-824 | Request for Action on an Approved Application or Petition | 9.2 months | 8.3 | -10% | 3 months |
| N-400 | Naturalization Application | 7.5 months | 5.7 | -24% | 6 months |
| N-600/N-600K | Citizenship Certificate Application | 11.1 months | 9.7 | -13% | 6 months |
| 1-485 | Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status | 15.7 months | 13.5 | -14% | 6 months |
| 1-140 | Immigrant Petition for Foreign Worker (Non-Premium) | 5.8 months | 5.7 | -2% | 6 months |
| 1-130 | Petition for a Foreign Relative (Immediate Relative) | 13.3 months | 12.5 | -6% | 6 months |
| I-129F | Petition for Foreign Fiancé(e) | 13.4 months | 11.7 | -13% | 6 months |
| I-290B | Notice of Appeal or Motion | 17.3 months | 14.4 | -17% | 6 months |
| 1-360 | Petition for Amerasian, Widow, or Special Immigrant | 11.6 months | 13.6 | 0.18 | 6 months |
| 1-102 | Replacement Application/Initial Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure Document | 8.9 months | 5.5 | -38% | 6 months |
| 1-526 | Immigrant Petition by Independent Investor | 54.5 months | 44.6 | -18% | 6 months |
| 1-600/1-600A | Petition to Classify Orphan as Immediate Relative / Advanced Processing | 5.9 months | 4.9 | -16% | 6 months |
| 1-730 | Request from a Relative of a Refugee/Asylee | 24.9 months | 7.3 | -71% | 6 months |
| 1-800/1-800A | Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as Immediate Relative | 3.0 months | 2.3 | -23% | 6 months |
| 1-90 | Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) | 14.2 months | 9.4 | -34% | 6 months |
| I-821D | Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (renewals only) | 5.4 months | 4.5 | -16% | 6 months |
New USCIS Online Tools
It is important to note that this reduction in waiting times is the result of many factors, including the adoption of new virtual tools that speed up the work of officials.
The expansion of online options has made it possible for users to manage their procedures more quickly, reflecting that USCIS is willing to adapt to current needs.
Among the achievements achieved with these new tools is the processing of more than 430,000 address changes through December 2023. The tools are also expected to reduce telephone inquiries at USCIS Contact Centers by up to 31%, further streamlining the workload of its workers.
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