Response from my Attorney
I am responding to your email concerning your I-485 transfer. Please do not be alarmed by the transferring of your file. The USCIS has implemented a process called bispecialization" (see excerpt below). Under this process, all 485s will be adjudicated in either Nebraska or Texas. The message that you received indicates that your file was transferred to Texas. The transfer will not incur any additional delays in your processing. This is actually good news, that your case has been transferred to the Service Center that has jurisdiction over the 485s. I will forward you a copy of any correspondence received.
Regards,
XXXXX
-----------------------------------------------------------------
USCIS IMPLEMENTS BISPECIALIZATION BEGINNING APRIL 1, 2006
Filing Procedures for Some Employment-Based Petitions and Applications Are Affected
On March 24, 2006, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a press release formally announcing the bispecialization program under which the agency will centralize filings of certain applications and petitions. USCIS will align similar workloads between two "sister" Service Centers starting April 1, 2006. At the present time, workload is generally divided by geographic area among four of the agency's Service Centers. Under the new procedures, cases will be divided by product line and case type rather than geographically. According to the press release, all processing for new cases will be realigned as of April 1, 2006, although pending cases, with certain exceptions, will continue to be processed where they are currently on file. The Vermont Service Center (VSC) and the California Service Center (CSC) will handle nonimmigrant visa petitions filed on Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker. The Nebraska Service Center (NSC) and the Texas Service Center (TSC) will handle the remainder of the workload, including employment-based immigrant petitions filed on Form I-140 and related filings.
The new program alters filing procedures for Forms I-129, I-131, I-140, I-485, I-539, I-765, and I-907. Detailed instructions on filing and adjudication locations are provided below. In general, beginning April 1, 2006, all I-129 petitions and accompanying dependent forms will be filed at the VSC and adjudicated at either the Vermont or the California Service Center. All I-140 applications and accompanying forms will be filed at the NSC and adjudicated at either the Nebraska or the Texas Service Center. Until further notice, applications and petitions that are filed at a previously designated Service Center will be redirected to the appropriate bispecialized center, and the agency will honor initial receipt dates for those filings.
See http://uscis.gov/graphics/publicaffairs/factsheets/bispecph01_24mar06fs.pdf for the full agency press release announcing centralizing filing and bispecialized adjudications.
I am responding to your email concerning your I-485 transfer. Please do not be alarmed by the transferring of your file. The USCIS has implemented a process called bispecialization" (see excerpt below). Under this process, all 485s will be adjudicated in either Nebraska or Texas. The message that you received indicates that your file was transferred to Texas. The transfer will not incur any additional delays in your processing. This is actually good news, that your case has been transferred to the Service Center that has jurisdiction over the 485s. I will forward you a copy of any correspondence received.
Regards,
XXXXX
-----------------------------------------------------------------
USCIS IMPLEMENTS BISPECIALIZATION BEGINNING APRIL 1, 2006
Filing Procedures for Some Employment-Based Petitions and Applications Are Affected
On March 24, 2006, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a press release formally announcing the bispecialization program under which the agency will centralize filings of certain applications and petitions. USCIS will align similar workloads between two "sister" Service Centers starting April 1, 2006. At the present time, workload is generally divided by geographic area among four of the agency's Service Centers. Under the new procedures, cases will be divided by product line and case type rather than geographically. According to the press release, all processing for new cases will be realigned as of April 1, 2006, although pending cases, with certain exceptions, will continue to be processed where they are currently on file. The Vermont Service Center (VSC) and the California Service Center (CSC) will handle nonimmigrant visa petitions filed on Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker. The Nebraska Service Center (NSC) and the Texas Service Center (TSC) will handle the remainder of the workload, including employment-based immigrant petitions filed on Form I-140 and related filings.
The new program alters filing procedures for Forms I-129, I-131, I-140, I-485, I-539, I-765, and I-907. Detailed instructions on filing and adjudication locations are provided below. In general, beginning April 1, 2006, all I-129 petitions and accompanying dependent forms will be filed at the VSC and adjudicated at either the Vermont or the California Service Center. All I-140 applications and accompanying forms will be filed at the NSC and adjudicated at either the Nebraska or the Texas Service Center. Until further notice, applications and petitions that are filed at a previously designated Service Center will be redirected to the appropriate bispecialized center, and the agency will honor initial receipt dates for those filings.
See http://uscis.gov/graphics/publicaffairs/factsheets/bispecph01_24mar06fs.pdf for the full agency press release announcing centralizing filing and bispecialized adjudications.