U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently found that information USCIS posts on its website about the time it takes field offices to adjudicate green card applications (processing times) is confusing and “unclear and not helpful” because it does not reflect the actual amount of time it takes field offices, on average, to complete green card applications.
In addition, the OIG noted that the actual average time it takes USCIS to process green card applications has lengthened. USCIS’s goal is to adjudicate applications within 120 days, but since fiscal year 2011, the OIG said, the overall average number of days has risen to twice the goal. The OIG said it believes the time goal is “unrealistic.”
The OIG recommended that USCIS present information on the USCIS website that is more accurate, and reassess the current time goal of 120 days to determine whether it is reasonable and realistic, increasing the time frame if necessary. USCIS concurred with both recommendations.
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