Anyone who has been through the immigration process is well aware of how lengthy it is and how long they have to wait before getting approval. Processing times can last for several months and even years, and this has been quite the burden for applicants and their families.
But surprisingly, not all immigration cases last that long. Recently, one of Doyle Law’s clients got their DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) renewal approved in just 9 days. While that is good news, it does lead to the impression that USCIS’ workflows are not as optimized as ideal.
Some Cases are Adjudicated Faster Than Others
The recent example where a DACA renewal handled by our firm was approved in 9 days leads to some questions about immigration’s workflow.
If the USCIS can review an application, give the green light for approval, get the card created, and mail the work card out in a matter of 9 days, then why are other work card applications taking 7-10 months and even longer to be approved?
It’s suspected that this is due to workflow issues and is tied to the recent Ombudsman report that suggests that immigration needs to engage more human resources to help in adjudicating immigration cases.
How the USCIS Can Improve Its Workflows
Currently, the approval times in immigration cases can be very random. Some cases can be approved in a matter of days, but this comes at the cost of applicants who are waiting several months for their cases to be adjudicated.
That said, there’s an imminent need for immigration to improve its workflows by reallocating its resources and hiring more employees.
Reallocate Resources
With DACA renewal applications seemingly moving faster along the process compared to other word card applications such as the I-485 EAD, it seems like there are more resources being allocated to the former.
Immigration needs to balance out its resources and put people where they are needed — fewer employees should be allocated to divisions where there is less work, and more employees need to be assigned to divisions with more applications.
Hire More Employees
The Ombudsman has recently released a report saying that immigration needs to hire more employees. With workers deciding to retire early and the impact of the hiring freeze during the pandemic, immigration has been heavily affected, resulting in a mountain of pending cases to adjudicate.
In addition to reallocating resources where they are needed, the USCIS should consider taking more workers in to help lighten the workload and complete all pending cases.
With these suggestions, immigration can hopefully make internal changes and speed up the process — or at the very least, make it fair for everyone.