Hello, everybody. In this video, we're going to talk about USCIS processing time. The agency is
testing new ways to calculate processing times. As you know, processing times have increased
significantly in the past few years. And it's very confusing for people to understand where
they stand with their case, when they are outside of processing times, when they should take action
to inquire on what they should do. It's been very confusing. So, this new method is really exciting.
And we'll tell you all about it. We'll also talk about the current visa backlog with USCIS.
And also, want to tell you specifically, what forms USCIS is going to be testing this method.
What are you waiting for? I'll see you on the other side.
Hello, everybody, and welcome to our Immigration channel. This is a place where we get the most
up-to-date news, information, and everything else you need to make your immigration journey
less stressful. My name is Jacob Sapochnik. And I'm an immigration attorney located in San Diego,
California. And if you’re here for the first time, make sure to subscribe to our channel, click the
notification bell, so you don't miss any of our videos. And also, give us a like so YouTube will
be able to share this video with more people just like you. Many of you, guys, have been affected by
the long processing times. And the severe backlogs that USCIS has I've been experiencing in the past
four years. If you notice, over the over the past four years, under the Trump administration,
the USCIS has shifted into more of a closed kind of agency. Whereas before we were able to call
them, customers were able to meet with them, get answers on the phone. Right now, this shifted into
a system where it's virtually almost impossible to get a hold of anybody on the phone. And you
know what I'm talking about. When you call, you go to hundreds of prompts of voice-activated
messages, you rarely get to see a human, and even the Infopass appointments are very difficult to
get right now, very difficult to get actual customer service right now. So, I think this
new move that I mentioned at the beginning of this video, revolutionizing the processing time system,
may be the first step in a new approach by the USCIS under Biden's administration to say,
you know what, we are going to change the way we are. We're going to become more customer-friendly,
we're going to be more helpful. And this is the first step of doing so. So, USCIS
announced recently that they're going to be testing a new system to calculate the processing
times of applications that they work on. This is specifically for immigration forms for green card,
and naturalization applications. They said that with this new method, they're going to be able to
post the processing times that are more accurate, timely, and easier to understand because
the current ones are very, very confusing. Even to US Immigration Lawyers. Smooth coms as this agency
is dealing with a backlog of more than 2.6 million visa applications. Some reports suggest
that some of these visa applications experience 100 times more of a backlog than four years ago,
before the Trump administration took office. So, let's talk about this new method. What is actually
going to change? So, USCIS is now going to post the processing times as a range person number,
as you can see on the screen, it’s going to be the number that it takes to process, 50%
of the applications in this category. And the second number shows the time it takes to process
93% of cases in this category. The first example is 11 to 26.5 months
for I-751 cases in California. The first number 11 is the time it takes to process 50%
of the cases. And the second number is the time it takes to process 93% of these cases
in this category. And this times are based on analysis of all the complete cases from the
previous month. In the example I just mentioned, we went to the processing time website of USCIS.
The form is Form I-751 application to remove conditions in the California Service Center,
just an example. So, what are the actual forms that will be impacted by this new
processing time process? The forms are the following, Form I-45 application for Adjustment of
Status, Form N-400 application for US citizenship from, I-90 application to renew your green card,
Form I-751 the application to remove conditions, Form I-765 application for a work permit,
Form I-102 application to retrieve your I-94, Form I-526, Form I-817, Form I-829, Form I-914,
Form I-924, Form N-600, and Form N-600k. The forms that are not mentioned in this list
will still be subject to the older processing time method. So, how do you find the processing time of
your application? There's a link right here in the screen for the USCIS processing time tool.
All you have to do is log into their tool. Choose the type of your case, whether it's
an I-90 or 751, or Adjustment of Status. You click on the processing center it says on your receipt
where your case has been processed. And then it will tell you the range. As I mentioned
before in this video, that's the easiest way to check on the processing time and see if you are
within or outside the normal processing time of your case. So, what do you do if you're now
outside of the regular processing times of your application? So, there are a few things you can
do. The first thing I always recommend is to make an inquiry. Make the first inquiry with USCIS,
there are inquiries online, there are different tools. If you go to the USCIS website and search
the inquiry form, you can find an inquiry online. If that doesn't work... and also, by calling their
automated system, there are different prompts. I know it's taking a long time, but it's sometimes
worth to do. If that doesn't work, you can also make an inquiry by completing the Ombudsman's
inquiry form. And I'm going to link below the case assistant website where you can actually
fill the form. It's free, and the Ombudsman’s office can help inquire on your case if you've
done everything else within work, it’s another way to get further assistance on your case if
it’s stuck, or if you're not getting enough information from USCIS. Once again, hopefully,
this information is helpful. Again, we feel that USCIS has definitely been difficult to deal with
in the past four years. And these little moves are definitely positive in a good way moving forward
to see that the agency is open, they're now willing to help the public and now, hopefully,
they're going to be back at the point where it's going to be much easier to deal with them,
get information, and specifically when we are so anxious right now. So many people are waiting,
and the backlog is only increasing so I'll keep updating you as I have more information.
And if you have any questions, make sure you post them in the comments below. If you’re here
for the first time, make sure to subscribe to our channel and give us a big like as well so YouTube
will be able to share this video with more people just like you. And also, if you want a specific
consultation about your case, if your case is stuck, if you need help, make sure you text me,
619-483-4549. We are here to help. Thanks for watching, and I'll see you in the next video.