How to Read a USCIS Processing Time Report

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) publishes a monthly report on processing times at its service centers.  The Service Centers may vary according to which type of application you are submitting.  In New England, a variety of applications are processed at the Vermont Service Center, which released a new Time Report on April 3 with processing dates as of 2/28/13. 

So, how do you read a Time Report?  There are four columns:  “Form,” “Title of Form,” “Classification or Basis for Filing,” and “Processing Timeframe.”  Make sure you have the right form number and classification.  The processing dates represent the receipt dates of petitions and applications currently being processed by the Service Center.  If a certain type of application is being completed within USCIS target timeframes, the timeframe of days, weeks, or months will be shown.  If a USCIS service center doesn't meet the target timeframe, a date will be shown (January 1, 2009) to indicate what cases they are currently processing. 

For example, USCIS set a goal to complete an I-765 Employment Authorizations for Asylum Seekers within 3 weeks, and the service center is meeting this goal, so the processing report shows “3 weeks.”  Notice that the processing times may vary greatly for the same form, but a different classification.  For example, the processing time for an I-765 for someone who has a pending adjustment of status application (I-485) is three months.

For an example where USCIS is not meeting its processing goal, look at the processing time for an I-130 Petition for a U.S. citizen filing for a spouse, parent, or child under 21.  In the column for “Processing Timeframe,” the date listed is “August 6, 2012,” which means that USCIS is processing applications received on August 6, 2012.  

New System In Place for Non-Immigrant Visas for Residents of Iran

The American Immigration Lawyers Association has sent a press alert about the new appointment system for non-immigrant visas for residents of Iran.

Iranians need to make an appointment and may do so on their own, without the use of a travel agent. Appointment dates are made every other Wednesday at the U.S. Consulate General in Dubai (http://dubai.consulate.gov/). Appointments are limited - planning ahead and accordingly is encouraged greatly.

To schedule an appointment for residents of Iran:

1) Call the VIS at +1-703-439-2322. Farsi and English speaking agents are available.

2) Provide your international credit card information as there will be a USD $20 appointment fee. Appointments for up to 5 immediate family members can be made at one time with one appointment fee.

3) A date change for an interview can be made, however, individuals cannot change the name or passport number of the appointment.

Interviews for Iranians seeking non-immigrant visas are conducted at the U.S. Consulate General in Dubai only. Iranian immigrant visas are subsequently processed at the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi.

Iranians looking to make appointments based on emergencies and urgent medical treatment should send an email to DubaiVisaMedical @state.gov and individuals will be required to submit documentation showing the urgency of the situation in the email.

For more information, click here.

Glickman Turley's experienced attorneys represent individuals on a wide range of immigration matters, as well as other legal issues. Please contact our attorneys if you wish to discuss representation on immigration matters, real estate purchase and sales, condominium associations, criminal defense, non-profit law, civil litigation, business litigation, business law, trademark law, probate matters including wills, powers of attorney, health care proxy, same-sex co-parent adoptions, guardianships, animal law, or LGBT legal matters.