The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announces notable progress in streamlining processing times across various forms, as revealed in a newly released fact sheet. Data for fiscal year 2024 indicates significant reductions in median processing times compared to the previous fiscal year for many high-volume forms. For instance, processing times for employment authorization documents from asylum applicants and certain parolees now take less than 30 days, marking a considerable improvement. Notably, naturalization processing time stands at 5.2 months, the shortest since 2016, while other forms such as employment authorization for adjustment applicants and advance parole also show notable decreases. Despite these advancements, USCIS acknowledges the need for further improvement in processing times for certain forms, outlining ongoing efforts and initiatives to address backlog challenges. Additionally, USCIS has initiated the use of a final rule, effective April 1, 2024, to adjust immigration and naturalization benefit request fees, aiming to enhance operational sustainability and expedite application processing. USCIS emphasizes the distinction between administrative processing times and delays due to statutory limitations, underscoring the importance of Congressional action in resolving certain issues. For comprehensive processing time data and further details, USCIS directs stakeholders to its historical processing times page and other relevant resources.
Source: USCIS
