USCIS completed a record-breaking 10+ million immigration cases in FY2023, reducing the backlog for the first time in over ten years. Some key achievements in the USCIS FY2023 results report include backlog reduction, improving customer experience, and addressing employment-based immigration and humanitarian needs.
Backlog Reduction
In FY2023, USCIS received 10.9 million filings and completed 10 million pending cases, setting new records for both. As a result, overall backlogs were reduced by 15%. Included in the backlog reduction were 878,500 people who were waiting to become U.S. citizens along with 12,000 members of the military. The backlog for naturalization was essentially eliminated and the average wait time for naturalization dropped from 10.5 months to 6.1 months.
The USCIS FY2023 results also showed that the backlog for cases pending outside of target processing times was down by over 760,000 cases to 4.3 million cases compared to the more than 5 million cases in backlog at the end of FY2022.
Improving Customer Experience
USCIS also introduced new technology to improve the USCIS customer experience in FY2023. The self-service online rescheduling of biometrics appointments was used to schedule 33,000 appointments. Additionally, 430,000 address changes were submitted through the enterprise change of address system through December 2023. As a result, calls to the USCIS Contact Center are expected to be reduced by 30%, or 1.5 million calls annually. USCIS also received over 16,000 requests for field office appointments using the online request form. Furthermore, a new 1-800 number which gives individuals a more predictable callback window reduced the number of missed calls.
Employment-Based Immigration
More than 192,000 employment-based immigration visas were issued in FY2023, far exceeding pre-pandemic annual results. Additionally, for the second year in a row no visas went unused.
For adjustment of status applicants, the maximum validity period for Employment Authorization Documents was increased to five years. USCIS also clarified rules for the International Entrepreneur Role, the EB-1 Extraordinary Ability visa, and the waiver of the two-year foreign residence requirement for J-1 visas.
Furthermore, USCIS removed the biometrics fee and appointment requirement for applicants for a change or extension of nonimmigrant status. The Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) was also updated to support child beneficiaries of noncitizen workers from aging out of child status, allowing them to apply for permanent residence status with their parents.
Humanitarian Efforts
USCIS interviewed over 100,000 refugee applicants in FY2023. This is more than double the number of interviews completed in the previous fiscal year. Additionally, over 60,000 refugees were admitted and resettled in the U.S. and over 52,000 asylum cases were completed. This number included those prioritized for Afghan alliance. There was also another record set in FY2023 with 146,000 credible fear and reasonable fear screenings of asylum seekers.
Nearly 238,000 people entered the U.S. through the parole program for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans in FY2023. Additionally, a new family reunification process for those from Columbia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras was introduced and the existing family reunification processes for Cubans and Haitians were updated. Through the United States’ ongoing support for Ukraine, the U.S saw over 150,000 Ukrainian nationals and their families enter the U.S. in FY2023.
Lastly in FY2023, The Humanitarian, Adjustment, Removing Conditions, and Travel Documents (HART) Service Center was created and saw its staffing grow by 90%.
Looking Ahead
USCIS continues to focus on reducing processing times in FY2024. A key focus is achieving a median processing time of 30 days for EAD application for those who enter the U.S. using the CBP One mobile app or through the CHNV process. Changes are also being made to the H-1B program to improve the efficiency and integrity of the program. Continuing to use all available visas and maintaining naturalization processing timelines are also focus areas for FY2024.
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