USCIS is being sued for unreasonable delays with applications
Long waiting times have always been a part of the application process for United States residency or naturalization. But since the COVID pandemic hit, delays have been even longer and more unpredictable.
Now, 13 people waiting for their citizenship applications to be processed have filed a lawsuit against USCIS for unreasonable delays with their applications. These 13 applications are a particularly complex case, because at the beginning of the pandemic, USCIS chose to store them at a different facility, the National Archives and Records Administration, and has made no attempt since to retrieve them.
We will be following where the case goes from here. The hope is that it leads to more accountability on USCIS processing times for all applicants. The case also points to the potential for more complications when filing a paper application with USCIS. Since the agency has been moving toward making more applications available for online filing anyway, filing online is a great choice when it is an option.
On a related note, there seems to be a push for more efficiency at USCIS, which this month announced some updated info on increasing the accuracy and transparency of application processing times.
If you have any questions on how either of these developments could affect your immigration application, reach out to us. And follow our blog for the latest in immigration news and analysis!