CIS Ombudsman Issues Annual Report for 2010

07/13/2010

The Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman has issued its Annual Report to Congress, focusing on the most pervasive and serious problems encountered by individuals and employers in their dealings with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Key issues highlighted in the 2010 Annual Report include:

  • Declining USCIS Receipts and Revenues: USCIS is facing declining receipts and declining revenue, although this presents the agency with both challenges and opportunities;
  • USCIS Modernization: The Transformation Initiative is underway, but antiquated technology and case management systems hinder USCIS' ability to provide efficient and transparent service, while the public waits to see tangible results of this critical initiative;
  • Requests for Evidence (RFE): USCIS customers continue to express concern with the lack of standardization in adjudications, along with complaints about an adjudications process marked by unnecessary, inappropriate, overly-broad, or unduly labor-intensive Requests for Evidence (RFEs). The Ombudsman reviews and makes recommendations on RFE issues in the H-1B Specialty Occupation and L-1 Intracompany Transferee categories;
  • Customer Service and Public Inquiries: USCIS has bolstered its outreach, establishing an Office of Public Engagement to proactively seek public feedback on USCIS policy issues and new initiatives, but USCIS' National Customer Service Center toll-free telephone line continues to be a major source of frustration as many customers are unable to correct service errors or receive meaningful information from USCIS call centers.

Additional issues examined in the Annual Report are:

  • Military Immigration Issues
  • Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs)
  • International Adoptions
  • Separation of Derivatives/Principals
  • USCIS Adjudications for Individuals in Immigration
    Court Proceedings
  • Form N-648 (Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions)
  • Haitian Temporary Protected Status (TPS)

As an independent office that reports directly to the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, the CIS Ombudsman's mission is to assist individuals and employers in resolving problems with USCIS, identify areas in which individuals and employers have problems in dealing with USCIS, and propose changes to mitigate identified problems.

A copy of the complete CIS Ombudsman's 2010 Annual Report can be accessed below.

 

Related Items

1091PDF_Icon.gifCIS Ombudsman's 2010 Annual Report (3.5 MB)

 

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