Ever since United States Citizenship and Immigration Services started publishing details about their processing backlogs in the mid-1990s, the issue has only gotten worse. This backlog was part of the inspiration behind the “Gang of Eight,” a group of American senators who proposed comprehensive immigration reform nearly two decades ago. President Joe Biden hasn’t made any promises about immigration reform. However, he has stated that the green card backlog is something he hopes to start reducing over the next several months.
Addressing the Backlog
The Emergency Stopgap USCIS Stabilization Act was recently enacted in late March 2022, so we shouldn’t expect to see initial results until after the summer. For the time being, applicants are facing major delays in their visa and green card petitions. As previously mentioned, the backlog issue isn’t new, but it was exacerbated by the draconian immigration policies of the Trump administration along with the complications of the coronavirus pandemic.
Spouses and Children of American Citizens
There are some factors that can make processing times faster, and these can be evaluated by immigration law firms, including immigration lawyers in San Diego. Under normal circumstances, immediate relatives of American citizens would be able to get their green cards relatively fast. This is because they’re part of an immigrant category that isn’t subject to visa caps, which means they don’t have to wait for availability. An American citizen’s spouse who arrives in the U.S. with a K-1 visa should be able to get a green card in less than three months after the application fees are collected, but the reality in 2022 is that such applicants are waiting longer than a year.
If Biden’s plan to fix the battered immigration system in the U.S. starts working, the minor children and spouses of American citizens should be able to get their green cards within the 90 days following the payment of fees. This assumes the applicants are in the country at the moment their form packages are submitted to USCIS. Applicants who are overseas will have to wait a few more months.
Special Immigrant Programs
Aside from being a direct relative of an American citizen, your best chances of getting a green card in under 90 days would be through special immigrant programs, which include foreigners who join the U.S. Armed Forces, widows and widowers who have lost their American spouses, some religious workers, and victims of domestic abuse.
When U.S. military branches are in great need of recruiting, which is usually during wartime, they welcome foreigners willing to sign enlistment contracts. Qualified candidates will go through the military entrance processing system, and their recruiters will work with USCIS to expedite the green cards they’ll need to enter basic training.
In the case of foreign spouses and children battered by their American sponsors, USCIS case workers will help them get green cards quickly once their admissibility and safety have been established. Widows and widowers may also receive their green cards faster if there are pressing social or humanitarian situations to alleviate.
When they need assistance with any issues relating to immigration services in San Diego, immigrants should reach out to the experienced attorneys at KS Visa Law. From green cards to family immigration to naturalization, we can address all your immigration-related needs. Call us today at 858-874-0711 to schedule an appointment.
