U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has started the year with a new initiative aimed at improving efficiency. The agency is moving certain I-130 petitions and I-485 green card applications to different service centers that have shorter processing times. This is all part of an effort to speed up the overall workflow.
What does this mean for you?
The good news is that USCIS assures applicants that even if their cases are transferred, they won’t face longer wait times. In fact, for some applicants, this change could result in their cases being processed more quickly.
Is Your Case Affected?
Most I-130 and I-485 applications won’t be impacted by these changes. The cases that are affected include:
- I-130 petitions filed by U.S. citizens for immediate family members were processed at the Nebraska Service Center.
- I-130 petitions filed by green card holders for their spouses or children, filed with the California Service Center.
- I-485 green card applications filed with the Vermont Service Center.
However, not all cases in these categories will be transferred. If your case is moved to a new service center, you will receive an official notification from USCIS. If you don’t receive any notification, your case is not being transferred, and there’s no need for concern.
What Happens if Your Case is Transferred?
If your case is transferred, there should be minimal disruption. Your receipt number will stay the same, and you can continue filing any follow-up forms using the regular filing address as listed online or in the instructions.
An important detail to keep in mind: if your case is transferred and you wish to request premium processing for your petition or application, you will need to file Form I-907 along with a copy of your receipt notice (Form I-797) at the new service center handling your case.
The most significant benefit of a transfer is that you can submit an online inquiry if your case is not resolved within the processing times for the new service center. Since the newly assigned service centers generally have shorter processing times, your case may be completed more quickly, and if not, you can inquire about its status sooner than before.
How Much Shorter Are Processing Times?
The exact impact of the reshuffle will depend on where your original petition was filed and which service center is now handling your case. Let’s take a look at the average processing times at different service centers:
I-130 petitions for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens (filed at Nebraska Service Center) currently take 12.5 to 16 months. If your case is transferred, it could go to one of the following centers:
- Potomac Service Center: 7.5 to 9.5 months
- Texas Service Center: 8 to 10 months
- Vermont Service Center: 13.5 to 17.5 months
- California Service Center: 52.5 to 68 months
I-130 petitions for spouses and children of green card holders (filed at California Service Center) currently take 11 to 14.5 months. Your case may be transferred to one of these centers:
- Potomac Service Center: 7.5 to 9.5 months
- Texas Service Center: 5 weeks to 7 months
- Nebraska Service Center: 19.5 to 25.5 months
- Vermont Service Center: 13 to 17 months
I-485 green card applications (filed at Vermont Service Center) currently take 10.5 to 23 months. If transferred, your case will likely move to the Nebraska Service Center, where processing times are currently 9.5 to 13.5 months.
Will This Impact Your Application?
It’s hard to predict exactly how the reshuffle will affect your specific case, but generally speaking, if your petition is transferred to a service center with shorter processing times, you can expect your case to be processed more quickly.
On the other hand, if your case is moved to a center with longer processing times, don’t worry—USCIS has assured applicants that nobody will experience a longer wait time because of the transfer. The goal of the reshuffle is to balance workloads across service centers, so while some cases may be processed faster, no one will be disadvantaged by the changes.
In summary, while it’s difficult to guarantee exactly how the transfer will impact your application, the changes could help speed up processing times for many applicants. And if your case is transferred, USCIS has taken steps to ensure that you won’t face a worse situation than before.
