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The Citizenship and Immigration Services bureau will have a tough time meeting its goal of eliminating a backlog of applications for immigration benefits by the fall of 2006, according to government auditors.

The agency has made significant progress in tackling its staggering caseload but does not appear to be on track to process all old applications by the close of fiscal 2006 - a goal set nearly four years ago - the Government Accountability Office stated in a report (GAO-06-20) issued this week.

As of June 2005, CIS estimated that it had 1.2 million cases in its backlog, down from a peak of 3.8 million in January 2004. But nearly three-quarters involve applications for naturalization or lawful permanent resident status, and those will be the most difficult to close, GAO reported.

CIS is counting on a new information technology system to more efficiently manage its caseload. The agency plans to spend $1.4 billion on the system, but will not begin to deploy it until late 2006 and does not expect to have it finished until 2010, GAO said.

In the absence of the new system, CIS has been tackling its backlog mainly by increasing the staff hours devoted to processing applications. Between fiscal 2002 and fiscal 2005, the agency spent 69 percent of funds earmarked for eliminating backlogged cases on temporary staff and overtime. Only 2 percent of funds were spent on information technology planning.

The report stated that CIS does not have an effective system for tracking the exact number of backlogged cases, which means the number could be much higher than the agency knows.

The huge backlog was transferred to CIS in 2003 when the former Immigration and Naturalization Service was disbanded. CIS became part of the new Homeland Security Department.

In the 2000 Immigration Services and Infrastructure Improvements Act, Congress required INS to develop a plan to eliminate the backlog of applications. Under the act, any application that has been pending for more than six months is considered part of the backlog.

In early 2002, INS published a plan to eliminate the backlog by the end of fiscal 2006. CIS reaffirmed that goal in 2004.

DHS officials agreed with the conclusions of the GAO report, and said they remain committed to meeting the established goal.

"We agree with GAO's conclusion that [CIS] faces challenges in meeting its [fiscal] 2006 goals for eliminating the backlog in its naturalization and adjustment of status workloads," the department said in a written response to the report. "We remain optimistic, however, that, with dedicated effort, careful planning and strong leadership, these goals are still attainable."

"To ensure that [CIS] will not incur any additional backlogs in future years, [CIS] is developing a case management system for deployment in October 2006," the department added. "The vision is for all cases received after September 30, 2006, to be entered, tracked and managed through the new system."

CIS officials also noted that their ability to eliminate backlogged cases could be further compromised if new legislation -- such as a guest worker program -- increases their responsibilities without providing sufficient resources. DHS plans to implement a guest worker program some time in 2006.

COMMENTS

• Needless to say, this comes as no surprise to those of us who have been in this outfit for a substantial length of time. Legacy INS Adjudications, now CIS, has been behind the power curve since the creation of man. As I see it, part of the backlog can be attributed to the failure to timely adjudicate cases which have been found to be fraudulent or suspect in nature. When malfeasance of any nature is discovered, close the case!!! Quit sticking it on the backburner thinking it will just quietly go away. If the applicant has been denied, locate him/her and remove them. Throw out this garbage concerning file an appeal to this court, file an appeal to that court; in many instances it just wastes time and manpower on a cause with no salvage in sight. It just buys the person more time to move around and get lost somewhere else before they have the misfortune of being apprehended. Why does it take so long for naturalization applications to be processed? If the applicants have met all the necessary criteria and are eligible, how much groundwork has to go into the process? There's too much bureaucracy and psycho-babble in the agency; lack of manpower and new technology isn't the problem. Lack of efficiency and intestinal fortitude is the animal. Start enforcing the regulations - either grant those people citizenship/residency or deny them and move them out! GovExec.com reader Posted December 23, 2005 11:19 AM