USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) is infamous for its lengthy processing periods for green card applications, family and employment-related visas, and other immigration-related visas, leading some applicants to wait months or even years for a final decision.
Many factors influence the length of time it takes to process your immigration application, including a yearly quota cap, your place of origin, and even your last name. If the application involves a background check, popular surnames such as Kim, Patel, Lee, Nguyen, or Hernandez, for example, may take longer to complete. The already overcrowded USCIS immigration system has seen regular processing times extend even further as a result of COVID-19.
According to USCIS, there were 2.5 million cases backlogged by the end of 2019. Due to personnel challenges, changes in forms and procedures, pandemic-related officer closures, and the inability to process many applications online, the backlog of cases had increased to more than 8 million by the end of 2021.
USCIS realizes that in some cases, applicants’ circumstances may change, making it impossible to wait for the regular processing time. If this describes you, here are six possibilities for requesting a speedier application decision. This information, however, is revealed by immigration authorities and has not yet been publicly updated on the official websites