The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Ombudsman recently reported on the agency’s delays in printing lawful permanent resident cards (green cards), employment authorization documents, and other secure documents, and offered help.
The Ombudsman noted that the reduced capacity followed USCIS’ ending of a contract with an outside company responsible for printing the cards. USCIS said it intended to hire federal employees to replace the contractors, but its financial situation resulted in a hiring freeze.
The Ombudsman said that USCIS “expects these backlogs will continue for the foreseeable future” and that stakeholders are submitting requests for case assistance to the Ombudsman, which is assisting. Specifically, for those whose applications have been approved but whose cards have not yet been produced, the Ombudsman is sending weekly spreadsheets to USCIS to verify that card requests are in line to be processed. Such requests may be submitted at https://www.dhs.gov/topic/cis-ombudsman/forms/7001.
The Ombudsman also noted that green card holders may obtain proof of their status by requesting a stamp of temporary evidence in a valid passport. “Please reach out to USCIS’ Contact Center (800-375-5283) to make an appointment at your local USCIS field office,” the Ombudsman said.
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