As quoted by Crystal Williams of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (of which Robert Lubin and a number of other attorneys of the office are members), “Over the last six to twelve months, we’ve crossed the line into crisis proportions…I’ve never seen backlogs to this extent.” No one could have predicted, even a year ago, that the backlogs at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) would worsen to such an extent.

As the Washington Post reported on February 11, 2004, in an article entitled “A Long Nervous Wait-Backlog at U.S. Agency Complicates Immigrants’ Lives,” there does not appear to be an end in sight. Moreover, due to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, numerous security checks for each and every application and staffing problems at USCIS offices have exasperated the backlog.

Thus, we urge you to be patient. Keep in mind that each Service Center and District Office publishes their current processing times; this information is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to the public. Feel free to check these reports regularly, as they are updated monthly. If the date listed is 30 days PAST the date your case was received at the USCIS, please contact our office and we will be happy to do a status inquiry. Any inquiries BEFORE that time will not be accepted by the USCIS. If you are unsure of your receipt date, please contact our office and we will be happy to assist you.

To learn how to access processing reports for your case, please visit: https://egov.immigration.gov/graphics/cris/jsps/index.jsp

POSTED: February 13, 2004