Transfer of I-485s
Posted Mar 23, 2007
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The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is in the process of transferring certain pending applications for Adjustment of Status to Permanent Residence (Forms I-485) among the different service centers. The transfer process, announced in mid-March 2007, is all part of the on-going "bi-specialization" streamlining efforts. Under this transfer process, I-485 cases pending with the California Service Center (CSC) will be transferred to the Nebraska Service Center (NSC). Those pending with the Vermont Service Center (VSC) will move to the Texas Service Center (TSC).
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Bi-Specialization Entails "Sister Center" Processing
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Under bi-specialization, the VSC and CSC are paired as sister centers; the NSC is paired with TSC. Each set of sister centers only processes certain types of cases. This is intended to improve efficiency. A number of articles about bi-specialization can be found on MurthyDotCom. General information on bi-specialization was reported in our March 31, 2006 MurthyBulletin article, USCIS Begins Bi-Specialization April 1, 2006. Most recently, our readers were informed of the new filing procedures for Forms I-129 and I-539 in our March 16, 2007 MurthyBulletin article, USCIS Update on Filing Procedures for Forms I-129 and I-539. See MurthyDotCom for these articles and others on this topic.
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Transfer Includes Retrogressed and Security Cases
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The notice indicated that this transfer includes cases subject to visa retrogression and security and/or background checks. The transfer should be reflected in the online case status system, and a transfer notice will be issued to the applicant or applicant's representative. Persons receiving these notices should understand that this is a routine matter.
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Processing Based on Original Filing Date
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The notice also confirmed that the transferred cases will be placed in the queue for adjudication based upon their original filing dates.
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Merely an Internal USCIS Matter / New Receipt Notices Issued
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This change does not impact any of the current filing instructions. The transfers will occur without any request or action on the part of the applicant. Bi-specialization is purely an internal matter at the USCIS, but we at the Murthy Law Firm believe this is useful information for our readers. We hope to allay concerns if I-485 transfer notices are received, reflecting that cases have been moved to different service centers.