(NewsNation) — After completing an unprecedented 10 million immigration cases, the United States has reduced its backlog for the first time in over a decade, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
USCIS reports in fiscal year 2023, it received 10.9 million filings and completed more than 10 million pending cases — both breaking numbers in the agency’s history. This reduced overall backlogs by 15%.
“We’ve completed a record number of cases, responded to emerging crises around the globe with essential humanitarian relief, and applied innovative solutions to improve customer experience and reduce backlogs,” said USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou.
The agency processed more than 878,500 citizenship applications, including 12,000 for military members, effectively eliminating the naturalization application backlog.
The median processing time for naturalization applicants decreased from 10.5 to 6.1 months, the agency said.
Additionally, USCIS introduced technology solutions to improve customer service experience. Its new online rescheduling of biometrics appointments was used to reschedule over 33,000 appointments in fiscal year 2023.
The agency issued more than 192,000 employment-based immigrant visas, supporting workers and employers, far above the pre-pandemic number, and, for the second year running ensured that no available visas went unused.