Both
U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Citizenship
and Immigration Services, launched so-called reengineering of the system
allegedly to reduce the backlogs.
The
USCIS launched so-called Pilot Programs in certain locations that allow
processing of green card applications less than 90 days when hundreds and
thousands of other people in the long pipeline are suffering from a long
delay. Implementation of Pilot Program not only raises the issue of
geographical inequity and unfairness but also raises eyebrows because of the
way program is implemented.
Reportedly
even in the same location, some lucky applicants are selected for the Pilot
Program processing and other applicants are not selected for the Pilot Program
processing without a clear guideline. Furthermore, there is no known target
date when the Program will be expanded to other locations giving the identical
services to the consumers in other locations.
On the
permanent labor certification front, the U.S. Department of Labor just
released its reorganization removing the labor certification function from the
State and Regional Offices of ETA to the National Program Office of the DOL
and creating two sets of national processing centers: National Processing
Centers for post January 1, 2005 applications and Backlog Reduction Centers
for Pre-January 1, 2005 applications.
The guiding rule for processing of applications
for both of these national processing centers is First-In First-Out. If the
newly created National Processing Centers are created for the purpose of PERM
Program which is distinguished from the current labor certification system not
only in the the procedure but also the substantive requirements for
eligibility, the issue of unfairness and inequity between the old filers and
the new filers is minimized.
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