Did anything change? I think this 2001 report explains the current mess of INS/BCIS. Actually not only nothing changed, things got worse due to post 09/11 security priorities. this may explain why cases are not approved according to their ND, to say the least.
GAO Report on INS Procedures
In May 2001, the General Accounting Office (GAO), a U.S. federal agency
that monitors the activities of government agencies and reports its results
to the U.S. Congress, issued a report on the INS. The report focused on
INS processing times for applications and petitions.
In its research and its findings the GAO focused on five key issues:
any changes in INS budget, staffing and workload since 1994
the extent of processing backlogs
processing time from the time an application is received
factors affecting backlogs and processing delays, and any steps
taken or planned to address these issues
Other actions INS has taken or plans to take towards improving
processing
The report concluded that despite increases in budget and staff, INS still
had difficulty in keeping up with its workload. For example, while efforts to
reduce processing times for naturalization and adjustment of status have
led to a reduction in backlogs for these applications, backlogs for other
types of applications increased correspondingly. The GAO found that INS
has no reliable system for tracking processing times for cases. The
automated agency-wide systems contain unreliable data, and the local
District Offices do not have an automated, case-tracking system for many
types of applications.
INS officials reportedly told GAO representatives that the lack of an
automated system means that the INS has no way of knowing the extent of
its current workload and backlogs and the processing times for
applications, that it has no way of identifying processing problems or
deploying staff based upon workload, and no way to determine whether
applications are processed in the order in which they are received. While
INS officials indicated more staff was needed, they did not know what type
of staff positions would be needed or how to allocate them because of the
lack of information, as outlined above.
INS has developed a plan for an agency-wide, automated system along with
a detailed, information-technology strategy. The GAO considers these to be
"steps in the right direction" but it is too early to tell what the results will
be.
The GAO report includes recommendations to INS for calculating
processing times, developing a staffing model, and improving fingerprinting
procedures, among other items.
Hey guys, I tried to find most recent GAO reports on this but I was not able to. This is scary from 2001!
GAO Report on INS Procedures
In May 2001, the General Accounting Office (GAO), a U.S. federal agency
that monitors the activities of government agencies and reports its results
to the U.S. Congress, issued a report on the INS. The report focused on
INS processing times for applications and petitions.
In its research and its findings the GAO focused on five key issues:
any changes in INS budget, staffing and workload since 1994
the extent of processing backlogs
processing time from the time an application is received
factors affecting backlogs and processing delays, and any steps
taken or planned to address these issues
Other actions INS has taken or plans to take towards improving
processing
The report concluded that despite increases in budget and staff, INS still
had difficulty in keeping up with its workload. For example, while efforts to
reduce processing times for naturalization and adjustment of status have
led to a reduction in backlogs for these applications, backlogs for other
types of applications increased correspondingly. The GAO found that INS
has no reliable system for tracking processing times for cases. The
automated agency-wide systems contain unreliable data, and the local
District Offices do not have an automated, case-tracking system for many
types of applications.
INS officials reportedly told GAO representatives that the lack of an
automated system means that the INS has no way of knowing the extent of
its current workload and backlogs and the processing times for
applications, that it has no way of identifying processing problems or
deploying staff based upon workload, and no way to determine whether
applications are processed in the order in which they are received. While
INS officials indicated more staff was needed, they did not know what type
of staff positions would be needed or how to allocate them because of the
lack of information, as outlined above.
INS has developed a plan for an agency-wide, automated system along with
a detailed, information-technology strategy. The GAO considers these to be
"steps in the right direction" but it is too early to tell what the results will
be.
The GAO report includes recommendations to INS for calculating
processing times, developing a staffing model, and improving fingerprinting
procedures, among other items.
Hey guys, I tried to find most recent GAO reports on this but I was not able to. This is scary from 2001!
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