Making Sure Your Voice Is Heard: Recommending Ways to Improve the Delivery of Services at USCIS

The Ombudsman recommends ways to fix systemic problems that individuals and employers face when seeking services from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). We become aware of systemic issues through:

• Individual complaints and requests for help;
• Information and inquiries we receive from non-governmental organizations and federal officials, including USCIS; and
• Our interactions and meetings with applicants, petitioners, employers, non-governmental organizations including community and faith-based organizations, and immigration professionals across the country.

The Ombudsman makes recommendations with the goal of influencing change and improving the services at USCIS for both those who apply for and those who administer immigration benefits. In addition to the formal reviews and recommendations that the Ombudsman’s Office issues to USCIS, we also work in less formal ways to identify emerging issues and begin discussions with USCIS about how problems can be addressed.

After the Ombudsman makes a formal recommendation, USCIS responds within 90 days as statutorily required.

Recent Recommendations

• Improving the Process for Removal of Conditions on Residence for Spouses and Children issued on February 28, 2013 
• Adjudication of Applications and Petitions Under INA Section 204(l) issued on November 26, 2012
• Ensuring a Fair and Effective Asylum Process for Unaccompanied Children issued on September 20, 2012
• Petitioner Information Management Service (PIMS) issued on May 17, 2012
• USCIS Service Requests issued on March 5, 2012
• Extraordinary Ability Petition Adjudcations issued on December 29, 2011
• Employment Authorization for Asylum Applicants issued on August 26, 2011
• Employment Authorization Documents issued on July 18, 2011
• Deferred Action Processing issued on July 11, 2011
• Special Immigrant Juvenile Adjudications issued on April 15, 2011
• Customer Complaints: A Tool for Quality Customer Service and Accountability issued on March 23, 2011
• Processing of Waivers of Inadmissibility issued on June 10, 2010
• Adjudication of Applications for Refugee Status issued on April 14, 2010
• Previous Recommendations from 2009 – 2008 and 2007- 2004

Recent Recommendation Updates

• Recommendation Update: USCIS Adjudication of Applications for Refugee Status
• Recommendation Update: USCIS Processing of Waivers of Inadmissibility

Comprehensive Recommendation Review

• 2012 Comprehensive Recommendation Review