BAL recommends improved immigration policies, processes in comment to USCIS

BAL submitted a comment this week in response to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) request for ideas on how to improve access to immigration services and benefits.

USCIS published its Request for Public Input last month as part of its implementation of President Biden’s Feb. 2 Executive Order on legal immigration. In response, BAL recommended actions to reduce barriers and restore faith in the legal immigration system, including:

• Resuming the prior USCIS policy of waiving most employment-based green card interviews;
• Reducing green card wait times for foreign nationals;
• Expanding availability of premium processing and automatic work authorization extensions;
• Transitioning to electronic filing; and
• Modernizing the Form I-9 process.

BAL also offered suggestions on how USCIS could improve case adjudication, customer service and case assistance processes. BAL’s full comment to USCIS is available here.

BAL Analysis: USCIS has taken a number of positive steps in recent months to improve immigration policies and processes, including its April 27 guidance on deference to prior approvals and its temporary policy to suspend certain biometrics requirements. The Request for Public Input was a welcome opportunity for BAL and other stakeholders to present ideas for additional changes. The comment period closes May 19. BAL will continue to track the Biden administration’s policies on immigration and will provide updates on important developments as they occur.

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

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