U.S. Immigration Officials Detail Plans to Trim Benefits Backlog

Tackling protracted wait times for immigration benefits remains U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ top priority in the Biden administration’s second year, agency leaders said Wednesday.

The agency, a unit of the Department of Homeland Security, has added new staff, reduced the level of documentation required of applicants, and waived some interview requirements, senior leadership said during a virtual public briefing.

USCIS is also developing a new proposed fee schedule that it will seek public input on. And it’s aiming to fully digitize its processes, a shift that leadership said will make the agency more nimble in managing applications.

“Theoretically, we ...