Sanwar Ali: USCIS US visa delays expected due to lack of funding

By Sanwar Ali:

Following today’s USCIS news release, the good news is that it seems that the furlough of USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) staff planned for 30 August 2020 is apparently not going to happen.  However, USCIS also said that financial difficulties mean that there will be longer waiting times for USCIS services.

USCIS says spending cuts will affect all areas of its operations

USCIS have stated that spending cuts in place will affect all areas of its operation including naturalization applications.   USCIS is headed by Trump appointee and immigration hardliner Ken Cuccinelli, and so making it easy for migrants and employers may not be top amongst the list of top priorities.

USCIS says that there was a fifty percent drop in income in June due to coronavirus COVID-19.   However, under the anti-immigration Trump administration various restrictions had already been made for some US visa applications.  Income for USCIS was already dropping even before the pandemic.

USCIS Deputy Director Joseph Edlow demands increased funding

USCIS Deputy Director for Policy Joseph Edlow has said that without guaranteed increased funding there may be furloughs in future.  He urged that Congress makes sure that sufficient funding is made available for the fiscal year 2021 starting in October.  Edlow also had the following to say:

“Our workforce is the backbone of every USCIS accomplishment. Their resilience and strength of character always serves the nation well, but in this year of uncertainty, they remain steadfast in their mission administering our nation’s lawful immigration system, safeguarding its integrity and protecting the American people, even as a furlough loomed before them,”

“However, averting this furlough comes at a severe operational cost that will increase backlogs and wait times across the board, with no guarantee we can avoid future furloughs. A return to normal operating procedures requires congressional intervention to sustain the agency through fiscal year 2021.”

USCIS says that cost savings will result in worse services including in the following areas:

• Increased wait times for pending case inquiries with the USCIS Contact Center
• Longer case processing times
• Increased adjudication time for aliens adjusting status or naturalizing.

Hopefully, Congress will reach an agreement on USCIS funding soon so that the cost savings will not need to be made.

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