TSC Status
AILA/TSC OCTOBER 29, 2001 LIAISON MINUTES AILA/TSC OCTOBER 29, 2001
LIAISON MEETING APPROVED FOR PUBLICATION ON DECEMBER 5, 2001.
COMMENTS: The new Acting Director of the Texas
Service Center, Evelyn Upchurch addressed the liaison meeting, which
included representatives of INS HQ, TSC management, AILA National,
Supervisors from and various TSC product lines. Ms. Upchurch confirmed the
TSC\'s commitment to working effectively with the AILA liaison committee
and commented that the AILA/INS TSC liaison team was recognized by many as
a model effort. Ms. Upchurch agreed that AILA liaisons would continue to
have direct access to key TSC personnel to expedite the resolution of
crisis issues involving individual cases because of hardware problems,
which have recently precluded effective utilization of inquiry procedures
by AILA membership. 1. AILA reports that it has received a steady flow
of inquiries concerning the 11-month backlog in adjudication of I-140
petitions. Concerns are being expressed by members and US employers. Does
the TSC have a strategy to alleviate prolonged delays in the adjudication
of I-140 petitions? ANSWER: Yes, the TSC has been conducting extensive
training so that officers from other product lines may assist in a focused
effort to reduce the I-140 backlog. Although the AILA processing reports
do not break out the various I-140 categories, significant progress has
already been made in some areas. EB-2 NIW cases filed in May 2001 are
being adjudicated. EB-2 and EB-3 alien labor certification cases filed in
February 2001 are being processed, but all EB-1 cases are still back
logged to December 2000.