U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced the launch of new website service features. Moving forward, if applications for Green Card replacement (Form I-90) or naturalization (Form N-400) remain pending beyond the USCIS-announced processing times, applicants can submit an inquiry directly online. USCIS has committed to providing a response within 15 days.
The improvement of online services by USCIS follows a directive from President Obama last summer, aimed at making it easier for USCIS customers to understand the immigration adjudication process and stay informed about the progress of their cases. USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas stated, "We are committed to improving access to information regarding case status and enhancing customer service through innovative online features."
In the future, applicants for Green Card replacement and naturalization who have not received a decision beyond the published processing times can submit electronic inquiries directly to the appropriate USCIS office or customer service center via USCIS.gov, eliminating the need to call or schedule an in-person appointment with an immigration officer to check on their case status. USCIS must respond within 15 days of receiving the inquiry, which is 15 days faster than the current process. USCIS stated that this service will eventually be expanded to other categories of immigration applications.
Another improvement to online services is that when immigration applicants check the status of their cases, the steps displayed will be personalized. The USCIS website now provides personalized step-by-step tracking for 40 types of application forms, whereas currently, all application inquiries follow a standard 7-step process, even though some steps may not be applicable to certain applications.
To accommodate the large number of Latino immigration applicants, Spanish-language services have been added for applicants registering to receive email status updates and for changing mailing addresses online. Previously, these services were only available in English.
