USCIS Makes Strides in Reducing Backlog, Processing Cases, and Upholding Humanitarian Mission

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced  that it completed a record-breaking 10 million cases in fiscal year 2023 (FY23), exceeding the number of applications received and successfully reducing overall backlogs for the first time in over a decade. This is just one of several achievements highlighted in the agency’s end-of-year data release.

• Reduced Backlog: USCIS completed over 10 million cases in FY23 while receiving 10.9 million filings, resulting in a 15% reduction in overall backlogs.
• Faster Naturalization: The median processing time for naturalization applications dropped from 10.5 months to 6.1 months, eliminating the existing backlog and achieving a long-standing agency goal.
• Improved Customer Experience: New technology solutions enabled online rescheduling of biometrics appointments, online address changes, and text-ahead capability for call center inquiries.
• Stronger Employment Immigration: More than 192,000 employment-based visas were issued, exceeding pre-pandemic levels and ensuring all available visas were used.
• Humanitarian Mission: Over 100,000 refugee applicants were interviewed, resulting in the admission of 60,000 refugees. Record numbers of asylum cases and credible fear screenings were also completed.
• Looking Ahead: USCIS aims to maintain processing times, utilize all available employment-based visas, and increase refugee admissions. New online filing tools and expansion of international operations are planned.

Director Ur M. Jaddou commended USCIS employees for their dedication to fairness, integrity, and respect, stating: “We’ve completed a record number of cases, responded to global crises with essential humanitarian relief, and applied innovative solutions to improve customer experience and reduce backlogs.”