The Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Ombudsman released a report on June 15, 2022, “The Challenge of the Current USCIS Fee-Setting Structure.” The USCIS Ombudsman examined the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) funding model “after observing the financial crisis and dysfunction that followed in the immediate wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the threat of furloughing much of its staff. While the agency ultimately avoided the furlough, it implemented austerity measures that significantly impaired its ability to fulfill its mission.” The USCIS Ombudsman’s report includes five recommendations, including pursuing “authorization to establish a financing mechanism, through the auspices of the Department of the Treasury, that USCIS may draw upon to address unexpected revenue shortfalls and unfunded policy shifts and to maintain adequate staffing to meet its performance obligations.” The report can be found here.
