Name Check Delays - Good News for N-400 Applicants and others as USCIS and FBI Announces Plan to Reduce the Backlog
On April 2, 2008, the USCIS and the FBI jointly announced a plan to eliminate the backlog of name checks pending with the FBI. Here is the breakdown of the plan:
By May, 2008 the FBI will process all name checks that have been pending more than three years. (It has already eliminated the backlog on name checks pending more than four years).
By November, 2008, the FBI will process all name checks that have been pending more than one year.
By February, 2009, the FBI will process all name checks that have been pending more than 180 days.
Finally, by June, 2009, the FBI plans on processing 98% of all name checks within 30 days and the remaining 2% in 90 days.
This really would be great progress if it can be achieved and sustained.
Please remember, as I noted in my posting of February 9, 2008, that the recently announced USCIS guidance on name check delays for other applications such as the I-485 (by which an application that is otherwise approvable will be approved if the FBI name check is still pending for more than 180 days) does not apply to N-400 applications.
N-400 name check applications must be completed before the N-400 can be approved. Therefore, any viable plan to reduce the current name check times is welcome news.
