INS Plans Management Changes and Requests Additional Funding to Manage Naturalization Workload
Posted Aug 19, 1998

INS plans for management changes to manage the naturalization backlogs include the formation of "backlog reduction teams" in the 5 local District Offices with the largest number of naturalization cases, hiring 200 more adjudicators and additional support staff, and other improvements to customer service. New customer service efforts will include a telephone inquiry line to answer procedural and case status questions, and a new Service Division for the agency. INS also plans to implement a new centralized filing system which the agency claims will increase efficiency and reduce the time it takes to retrieve a file.

In fiscal year (FY) 1997, INS received a record 1.6 million naturalization applications, more than 4 times the FY 1992 figure. Since there was no corresponding increase in INS staff to process the increased workload, it has resulted in backlogs of approximately 2 years to process a naturalization application, which time frames are expected to continue to increase. The number of other types of immigration applications also increased by almost 60% in the same time period. These increases have led to a parallel increase in processing time for all types of applications.

The Law Office of Sheela Murthy has noticed that delays are increasing in the processing of naturalization applications. As mentioned in a Bulletin earlier this year, the INS has proposed an increase of the filing fees for naturalization applications from $95 to $225. The Law Office of Sheela Murthy and the American Immigration Lawyers Association oppose the fee increase, unless INS provides better service and reduces the processing delays because we have seen that when there are additional revenues it is often used for purposes other than that for which is was contemplated, for example enforcement, instead of providing better service to those who are supporting the system and paying for better service.