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Immigration agency sets up new virtual service center
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has started to staff up a new virtual service center dedicated to processing requests for humanitarian immigration relief, including visas for victims of crimes and domestic violence, in an effort to chip away at lengthy backlogs.
In an exclusive interview, USCIS director Ur Jaddou described the additional service center as an “important milestone for us” and part of the agency’s effort to reduce wait times for visas and other benefits. It will be the agency’s sixth service center and first all-virtual one.
“One of my biggest visions for USCIS is to ensure that this backlog — this unprecedented backlog — is something that, by the time I depart the agency, is well on its way to recovery,” Jaddou said. “The backlog has stopped growing and it’s starting to peer downward. My goal is to continue that slide downward.”
This newest service center, which is currently operating on a hybrid model but will eventually shift to being fully remote, will begin its next round of hiring on Friday, according to USCIS. The agency aims to have the new service center nearly fully staffed by the end of September 2024.
It adds to existing service centers in California, Nebraska, Virginia, Texas and Vermont. The center, while virtual, will accept both paper and electronic applications, according to Jaddou.