USCIS, FBI Eliminate Name Check Backlog, Set New Standard
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that, in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), it has met all milestones set forth in a joint business plan announced April 2, 2008, resulting in elimination of the FBI National Name Check Program (NNCP) backlog.
The goal was to complete 98 percent of name check requests submitted by USCIS within 30 days, and the remaining two percent within 90 days. This performance level will become the new standard, USCIS said. As is the case with all security checks undertaken by USCIS, any information provided by the FBI through these checks may require further evaluation and may lead to follow-up queries to other agencies. This could result in additional delays in processing, which USCIS said are not governed by the processing goals in the joint business plan. In the majority of instances, however, USCIS said the completion of a backlogged FBI name check has resulted in a “no record response.” Next steps in the adjudication of any cases that were delayed because of a pending FBI name check request may now include updating fingerprint results, scheduling interviews, requesting additional evidence and other reviews to determine whether the applicant is eligible for the requested immigration benefit.
Download: Announcement
