USCIS has released an update on the visa backlog
for family, fiancee and employment based green cards.
The overall backlog grew to over 8 million pending cases,
meaning that in two years it has more than tripled
from the 2.5 million that were pending at the end of 2019.
Stay tuned
because we are going to take a look at the backlog for each type of visa,
as well as what USCIS is doing to address it.
And if this is your first time on my channel, please be sure to subscribe
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Let's start by looking at the data on family sponsored visas.
2021 saw a significant increase in the number
of applications for family based green cards.
Both I-130 and I-485 applications saw an increase in the number of approvals
and a decrease in denials, but the total number processed
still was not enough to make a dent in the backlog,
which grew by 52% this year.
Current estimates place the family based green card backlog—including the USCIS
and Department of State green card backlogs—at 1.6 million.
The lack of capacity also resulted in 150,000
unused family sponsored green cards in fiscal year 2021
that have carried over into the employment based category for 2022.
We will talk more about that shortly.
Another category I frequently get asked questions about is the K-1 fiance visa.
Because COVID closed down U.S.
embassies and consulates around the world, there was a backlog for approved
applicants waiting for an interview in fiscal year 2020.
Unfortunately, in 2021, the number of K-1 applications increased
and the total number processed by USCIS decreased,
resulting in a 44% increase in the fiancee visa backlog.
One bright spot was that for those who are in the final stages
of their immigration journey and applying for naturalization.
The number of N-400 applications decreased by 20% from the year before,
and USCIS was able to process more than it received in fiscal year 2021.
This dropped the record high backlog from 938,154 in 2020
to 833,738 pending.
This decrease was the result of fewer applications being submitted and USCIS
prioritizing naturalization applications over other types of requests.
How about the data for employment based categories?
By law, USCIS is only able to issue
140,000 employment based green cards each year,
plus any excess family sponsored green cards from the year before.
Because 122,000 family preference visas went unused in 2020,
there were 262,000 employment
based visas available in fiscal year 2021.
USCIS was able to approve 161,438
of those, a 1,077% increase from the previous year.
However, they did not have the capacity to process enough, and nearly
80,000 available green cards expired
at the end of fiscal year 2021.
Current estimates placed the employment based green card backlog—including
the USCIS and Department of State Green Card
Backlog—at 7.5 million.
One hundred fifty thousand family based green cards that went unused in 2021
have since been added to the employment based category, making a record number
290,000 available in fiscal year 2022.
So what do these numbers mean?
According to USCIS, the backlog is a result of an increase
in applications and petitions after the 2016 presidential election.
Implementation of the 2016 fee rule and the increasing complexity
of visa processing over the last several years.
As we've heard from Charlie
Oppenheim, chief visa officer for the Department of State,
the pandemic's effect on consulate processing times and staffing
has also played a significant role in the visa backlog.
Some of the ways USCIS is addressing the processing delays are by reusing
biometrics, expanding staffing and over time at lock box facilities
and improving financial stability so they can hire more staff.
They also have a new director who is an experienced immigration attorney
determined to reduce barriers in the immigration system.
If you want to hear more about what USCIS will do to address the visa backlog,
be sure to check out my other video where we talk about
expert predictions for immigration in 2022.
I will include a link to that here.
I will also continue bringing you additional immigration
news as it's available, so be sure to subscribe
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Click here to watch this video next and I'll see you there!