nelsona
Registered Users (C)
I think they could have three main categories for approvals on older cases:
1. Recent Visa Bulletin changes (most likely)
2. Complicated cases. According to USCIS Ombudsman, more complicated cases tend to be posponed further and further, because offices get paid (or otherwise recognized?) "for performance" and officers cannot claim good performance if they have to spend time resolving old complex cases, so they just keep working on simple cases
3. FBI NC backlog clearance... Very unlikely, but could be the case, especially with the heat around this issue, you never know what's in the black box...
However, acceptance of a large number of cases and then severe retrogression could be very helpful to USCIS, because it will re-categorize many of "FBI-backlogged" cases to "retrogressed" cases, dramatically improving their FBI-related statistics, and reducing WOM flood. And all of that huge backlog reduction will come without spending a dime on optimizing performance!!! Does that sound like a smart move on their part?
There is no doubt that the cut-off date elimination (even if it is only for 2 months) is a HUGE cash grab for CIS. It will placate IndianVoice.org for a time, as it will allow for EAD/AP/AC21 for these ones. But i nSept/Oct when cut-ff date returns to 'normal (ie. 2002/3) the banshees will return.
And, believe me, with all these fresh cases in their in basket, there will be absolutely no effort to resolve any 'complicated case' nor for the FBI to do any manual checking.
If you are stuck, you will remain so, only deeper.