USCIS processed 2023 million cases in 10: US immigration statistics

New data Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) show progress in improving the quality of customer service. The agency completed 10 million immigration cases in fiscal year 2023.

Photo: iStock.com/krblokhin

USCIS released fiscal year-end 2023 data that illustrates the agency's progress toward achieving its strategic priorities. USCIS staff have reduced backlogs and improved customer service. The service completed a record number of cases in 2023.

Reduce backlog of applications

In FY 2023, USCIS received 10,9 million applications and completed more than 10 million pending cases, both highs in agency history. At the same time, Citizenship and Immigration Services reduced the total number of outstanding applications by 15%.

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In fiscal year 2023, the department administered the Oath of Allegiance to more than 878 new U.S. citizens, including 500 military personnel.
The average processing time for naturalization applications decreased from 10,5 months to 6,1 months by the end of the fiscal year. This allowed USCIS to achieve a long-standing goal of significantly reducing wait times for most people seeking U.S. citizenship.

Improving customer experience

USCIS has implemented several new technology solutions that significantly improve the quality of service.

With the new self-service tool for online biometric appointment transfers, customers took advantage of this feature 33 times in fiscal year 000.

The new address change tool has enabled more than 430 address changes to be requested online until December 000. The tool is expected to reduce the number of telephone inquiries to the USCIS Contact Center by 2023%, or approximately 31 million inquiries per year.

From August to September 2023, USCIS received more than 16 field office appointment requests using the online request form, and a new proactive text option for callers to the 000-1 number gives customers a more predictable call back window and reduces missed calls.

Issuance of immigrant visas for workers

In FY 2023, USCIS and the State Department helped meet the needs of American employers by issuing more than 192 immigrant employment visas. This is far higher than the pre-pandemic number.

Citizenship and Immigration Services supported U.S. employers and non-U.S. citizens in FY 2023 by increasing the maximum validity of Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) to five years to adjust applicants' status.

USCIS has improved the availability of a number of immigration services, including the International Entrepreneur Rule, the EB-1 immigrant visa for individuals of extraordinary ability, distinguished professors and researchers. Citizenship and Immigration Services has waived the two-year foreign residency requirement for J-1s. In addition, the agency proposed a new rule to enhance worker protections and the integrity of the H-2 temporary worker program.

USCIS has waived the biometrics fee and pre-appointment requirement for applicants to adjust or extend nonimmigrant status. The Service updated the Child Status Protection Act to prevent many child beneficiaries of non-citizen workers from aging out. This will allow them to apply for permanent residence together with their parents.

Carrying out a humanitarian mission

At a time when the world is experiencing the largest displacement of people since World War II, USCIS is continuing its humanitarian mission and protecting vulnerable populations, the agency said.

The service interviewed more than 100 refugee claimants - more than double the number in the previous financial year. As a result of the interviews, over 000 refugees were accepted and resettled. As of the end of fiscal year 60, USCIS has completed more than 000 asylum cases.

Citizenship and Immigration Services conducted a record 146 checks to determine whether migrants' fear of returning home to their country is justified.

In FY 2023, USCIS continued to streamline processing of individuals in the United States through the implementation of new processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (CHNVs). At the end of fiscal year 2023, nearly 238 people entered the United States under the CHNV process.

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The service implemented new processes for family reunification for people from Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, and streamlined existing processes for people from Cuba and Haiti.

USCIS continues to support the U4U program for Ukraine. As of the end of fiscal year 2023, more than 150 Ukrainian citizens and their immediate family members have entered the United States under the U000U process.

USCIS announced the creation of its sixth service center, the Humanitarian Affairs Assistance Center (HART). It reviews requests for benefits submitted by vulnerable groups. USCIS has made significant progress in recruiting, hiring, onboarding and training new employees, growing the HART Service Center by nearly 90% in FY 2023.

What's next

In fiscal year 2024, the agency will continue to build on this progress while monitoring and addressing remaining processing backlogs, the Service said.

USCIS will work to maintain an average processing time of 30 days for certain EAD applications filed by individuals who entered the United States after making an appointment through the CBP One mobile app or through the CHNV processes.

The agency also proposed new rules to modernize and improve the efficiency and integrity of the H-1B program for specialty workers. USCIS will work to maintain naturalization processing times and utilize all available employment visas, the service said.

USCIS will introduce new online filing tools to improve the customer experience, including adding corporate accounts, launching online filing of H-1B Form I-129 petitions and petitions for non-immigrant workers, and creating an additional electronic intake channel to submit the form in PDF format.

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