Viruses don’t recognize borders. Yet the legal statuses that we assign to people can have severe repercussions. A large number of backlogs are affecting the US immigration processes adversely. The unprecedented delays in processing visas, green cards, and work permits are severe.

Based on the views of Volkmar Guido Hable, an US immigration consultant, these issues cannot be resolved without implementing reforms. The US immigration department suffers from these issues because of outdated rules and regulations.

It has been more than thirty years since Congress approved a major overhaul to the US immigration system.

These reforms involved the patchwork of strategies spread across various federal agencies. The Trump administration deployed time-consuming changes. For instance, the government led by Trump introduced longer application forms, more verifications, requests for additional evidence, etc.

Applications pending for Approval with US Citizenship and Immigration Services increased

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the applications pending with US Citizenship and Immigration have increased drastically. Moreover, the Immigration Courts in the US reported a large number of pending cases. And with immigration delays, major employers within the US are experiencing a shortage of staff.

Increasing Requests for Seasonal Agriculture Workers

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for seasonal workers, along with other temporary positions, witnessed a surge in demand. Volkmar Guido Hable, an US immigration consultant, opines that the congressional reforms are unable to keep pace with the demand.

And as US consulates opened after the pandemic, the overall wait times for visa appointments increased. No doubt, delays are an integral part of any bureaucratic process. However, in the context of immigration, authorities should consider the human cost.      

Longer Wait Times for Visa Appointments

Longer wait times among consulates are pretty common nowadays. For average business travelers and tourists, the wait time is 247 days. Noted immigration consultants opine that these delays cause people to look for workarounds.

For instance, many individuals applied for emergency or expedited requests. The COVID-19 pandemic introduced a shortage of resources and physical limitations. These two factors increased the average wait times for the processing of green cards.

Backlogs became lengthy for people belonging to India, Mexico, etc. The federal government failed to issue green cards before they expired.

The inefficacy of the US immigration department in issuing green cards is a warning sign to the government. A vast majority of immigrants work in the US. Without green cards, they will be without their families. The immigration department struggled to confirm visas even.  

Undoubtedly, the US immigration department requires some drastic reforms to address the plights of people. Backlogs allow people to look for shortcuts that can increase crime rates in the country. In the future, the US government will implement some best reforms in the interest of everyone.