USCIS Update: Significant Progress in Processing Times Reported

At Garvish Immigration Law Group, we’re excited to share a recent update from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) regarding notable improvements in processing times across various petitions and processes. Here’s a breakdown of the key highlights:

In the latest fact sheet released by USCIS, it was revealed that median processing times for several high-volume petitions have seen significant reductions in fiscal year 2024 compared to the previous year. Notable achievements include:

• Employment authorization documents from asylum applicants and certain parolees now processed in less than 30 days.
• Naturalization processing time reduced to 5.2 months, marking the lowest since 2016.
• Employment authorization documents from adjustment applicants processed in 3.6 months, the lowest since 2017.
• Advance parole documents now processed in 4.4 months, the lowest since 2018.
• Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker (nonpremium), now processed in 2.7 months.

While these improvements are commendable, there’s acknowledgment of the need for further progress, especially in reducing processing times for certain forms like Form I-601 and Form I-730. However, the newly established HART Service Center is expected to address these challenges, as detailed in recently FAQs posted by USCIS.

Additionally, there has been steady progress in EB-5 immigrant investor forms, supported by increased staffing and strategic investments at USCIS’ Immigrant Investor Program Office.

Furthermore, USCIS implemented a final rule on April 1, 2024, adjusting certain immigration and naturalization benefit request fees for the first time since 2016. This adjustment aims to enable USCIS to recover operating costs more effectively and support timelier processing of new applications.

Stay updated with us as we continue to monitor these developments and strive to provide the best immigration services to our clients.

Read the full USCIS update here.