meauxna

Just tripped over this in the site redesign at uscis.gov
The attached chart is interesting if you like that sort of thing!

The gov'ts Fiscal Year runs October-->end September, so FY2009 started 10/1/08.


USCIS Processing Times
Progressing Toward FY 2009 Goals

In our 2007 fee rule we committed to improving service. In the months that followed we received a large surge of applications. Notwithstanding that surge, in Fiscal Year 2008 we began measuring our performance and backlog against the goals we set in the fee rule. Although we knew we could not reach them in FY 08 because of the large surge, we believed it was important to remain true to the commitments we made – and we did process 1.6 million more cases that we received during the year.

In the fee rule we also set a goal for the end of FY 2009 – to reduce average processing time by an average of 20% from our goals before the fee rule. We remain committed to that goal. The table below lists our goals before the fee rule and our goals the end of this fiscal year (September 30, 2009). Between them it shows our current national average active case processing time.

The Target Active Pending column reflects what we predict our caseload of active applications or petitions will be as of the end of September 2009. This does not include cases in which we are awaiting action by the applicant or cases which are in limited visa categories where no visa is available (unless otherwise noted).

The Today's Backlog column reflects the additional cases which USCIS will need to complete - over and above our current production rates - before the end of September 2009 in order to meet our processing time goals for the end of this fiscal year.

There are many reasons why processing times at an office or center can vary from the national average. See current case processing times at individual offices and centers in the Related Links section (in the upper right-hand corner) of this page.

notacrime

This is great, thanks for posting.

The I-485 times are interesting. Their goal was to get it down to 6 months, they are currently at 14.7 months, and they've just made the goal more aggressive - 4 months. Seems like a bit of a long-shot, though the FBI has been instructed to get the name-check moving faster which is likely the biggest drag on those apps.

Good to see they are getting more aggressive on the naturalization timeline too.

But to put this all in perspective my wife received her conditional residence for the UK in a single visit to the British Consulate in LA. We're all so used to months of processing times being 'normal' but it's really a bit of a beaurocratic CF.

ian-mstm

In all fairness, the FBI name checks usually clear in a few weeks in the overwhelmingly vast majority of cases. The biggest problem, is matching those name checks to the USCIS case files. Now that is a hit/miss operation and could use some revamping. USCIS, in its eagerness to demonstate that it is efficient, always blames the FBI for the delay in getting the name checks done... and that, IMHO, is a travesty!


Agree 100%!

Ian

meauxna

hmmm, this sounds familiar. I posted the following in the other forum, but it looks like it belongs here too.
If what you posted is so, Ian, that is one more huge disappointment.

It's stuff like this, and the AR-11 that just make people's head want to explode though! I've been following the Ombudsman's webpage and updates.. bless their hearts for trying, but all this study and data collection and thought goes into making recommendations and DHS just comes back and says 'Thanks, but no, we won't (improve). Our method is working just fine'. They are so convinced that what they are doing works!

busupshot83

The above article states that the 2009 processing time goal for the N-400 application is 5 months. According to the USCIS website, the most current processing time for the N-400 at my local office (Tampa, FL) is about 8 months. This leads to the following questions:

1) How does USCIS expect to achieve such a significant reduction in processing times?

2) When does USCIS expect this goal to be attained?

3) Has anyone personally experienced such swift N-400 processing times so far in 2009?

Noorah101

We submitted the N-400 in late November. Had biometrics in late December. Got the notice for interview in late January, for an interview date of March 11. If he passes the interview/exam, we expect an oath ceremony about 6 weeks later, probably late April. That would make our timeline right at 5 months.

Rene

HighSpeedGrandma

Hearing that bugs me. I submitted my application early September, had fingerprints done in October and still no interview date. Even though I received a letter saying I needed to bring additional documents, ie drivers license and all passports to the interview. And I even went to an InfoPass appointment and learned absolutely nothing.
It's all down to processing centers I think. And Washington DC seems to be one of the worst.
It's good to know some are getting processed quickly though.

AlanR

I agree too - my FBI name check was long back with USCIS at my AOS stage - just sat in electronic space somewhere, I guess,unmatched as Ian says. This was only spotted by a very helpful USCIS official in Boston when I returned for my second EAD (under the 90 days over 'rule') - he was first alerted when he saw that I'd need another fingerprinting shortly and was able to check the records that the name check had come back some months previously. And indeed my EAD had been approved on the day I was in the center (JFK Building, Boston).
I'd actually faxed the FBI and got an email response sometime later indicating that the results of the name check had gone back to USCIS (if I recall,I think that this was the term rather than the clearance confirmation i.e. name check fine). I did have my copies of the email and fax (over-preparation again!) supporting my thesis. The Agent was able to get me a quick OK from another official and entered a I-551 stamp into my passport which I had with me along with 2 photographs (!). The photographs later got rejected which held the process up a couple of weeks, but shortly after I received the email notification of approval and GC production.

meauxna

I just tripped over this from April 2008. Thought you'd like to see the progress they made with Tampa.
USCIS Releases Projected Naturalization Processing Times For Local Offices

You might find the reports you are looking for on the Ombudsman's site: http://www.dhs.gov/cisombudsman

jeffreyhy

My wife's timeline was a week or so short of 5 months, others at her ceremony were plus or minus about 2 months, the differences being when they were interviewed as compared to when the periodic ceremonies are held. My sense is that in our location they wait until they have enough 'inductees' for a full house given the number of VIPs they had in attendance to welcome the new citizens.

Regards, JEff

Norri

My timeline was similar just a little earlier, everything moved along smoothly, had my interview on 16th Jan IO said 2 weeks for the letter and 6 weeks to Oath, so now it's 4 weeks and no letter, moral, never assume anything.

It's not bugging me too much 'cause I'm in NC at the moment and rushing back for an oath would be a pain, but just the same......

busupshot83

Wow, Tampa was at 11 months.

Marty J

Our K1 process is going a lot faster than we expected. We submitted our petition 92 days ago, and it has already been approved, cleared the NVC, and is on its way to London.

I have no idea if it's anything to do with the new processing-time goals though.