CISOMB Recommendation Update: USCIS Processing of Waivers of Inadmissability

"On June 10, 2010, the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman recommended enhancements to the administration of Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility. While specifically focused on the USCIS Ciudad Juarez Field Office, many of the recommendations applied to all overseas posts: (1) Centralize I-601 processing; (2) Allow applicants to concurrently file Form I-601 and Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative; (3) Prioritize the finalization of the overseas case management system, already under development, to ensure accurate statistical reporting on Forms I-601, to allow processing times to be posted, and to enable customers to track a Form I-601 application via the "My Case Status" feature on the USCIS website; (4) Publish clear instructions for customers seeking expedited waiver processing; (5) Increase coordination between Department of State (DOS) and USCIS officers who work with I-601 waivers; and (6) Allow USCIS employees to request digitized A-Files upon receipt of interview schedules. This Recommendation update provides the status of recommendations made by the Ombudsman at least twelve months after the recommendations were issued." - CISOMB, updated Dec. 8, 2011.