Some facts about TSC, IOs and INFOPASS
1. There are 2 PHYSICAL offices which belong to TSC. The one at Mesquite Texas is simply a processing center for all snailmail. All responses, RFEs and adjudications are printed and mailed from
this unit. The other location is 25 MILES on Stemmons highway where the real work is being done by the officers. Even a simple thing as Service Request Response will be physically sent from the
Jack Stemmons highway office on the road to Mesquite for printing/posting.
2. The software used is IBM Mainframe. Developed by a 3rd party contractor way back in 1990s. Since then there has been a couple of revisions and today what is called CLAIMS version 2(CLAIMS2)
and CLAIMS3. CLAIMS stands for Computer linked information management system.
3. NCSC, National Customer service center roughly had 110 agents back in 2005. You would expect this number to have increased ever since.
4. NCSC agents and TSC IOs(who you speak to using POJ) are CONTRACTORs from a company called "Pearson Government Solutions"(check out
www.vangent.com)
5. So, do not be afraid of calling NCSC or TSC IOs.
6. NCSC IOs are called Tier-1 agents who have access to the same information as we do...in addition, based on an exceptional circumstance, they should be able to connect you to a Tier-2 Officer.
7. Tier-2 officers are the ones you speak to using POJ method who have access to CLAIMS2 and CLAIMS3 systems.
8. Adjudicating officers need to physically retrieve information pertaining to a case from different locations thus increasing time spent on an application and also rendering the process
inefficient.
9. AO's need to have strong reasons for raising a RFE or transfer to local office, it is considered INCOMPETENT for an officer to go on a fishing expedition...most of the times, in the event of a
RFE and subsequent response, the AOs is expected to have gathered enough information to approve the case.
10. For Tier-1 and Tier-2 officers, USCIS pays the contractor based on some rating...where there are mnay barometers of "customer satisfaction". See GAO link below for more info.
11. Tier-1 officers at NCSC have a 2300 page script out of which they need to give you answers...you go figure how helpful they can be.
12. There is a lot of attrition owing to the contract nature of the job and these people need to be constantly trained...and your guess is as good as mine.
For more information:
1. GAO report from 2005 -
http://www.gao.gov/htext/d05526.html
2. Adjudication Manual for Officers -
http://www.uscis.gov/propub/ProPubVAP.jsp?dockey=724ce55f1a60168e48ce159d286150e2