Kennewick Immigration Delay Lawyer

Applying for a visa, a Green Card, or any other document or special permission provided by U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services can be a stressful and time-consuming process even under the best circumstances. Unfortunately, waiting a long time to hear back about an application is an all-too-common part of this process, and sometimes there is nothing an applicant can do but be patient and ready to respond as soon as USCIS reaches out to them.

That said, if you have been waiting much longer to hear back from USCIS than you would expect based on average case processing times, you may want to speak with a Kennewick immigration delay lawyer about your options. Depending on the circumstances, your dedicated immigration attorney could help you reach out to the appropriate authorities for clarification and, if necessary, take formal legal action.

Common Causes of USCIS Processing Delays

As frustrating as it may be, the most common reason USCIS applications take an abnormally long time to process is simply because the agency is inundated with new and updated petitions on a daily basis. They are also often at the mercy of constant policy changes from new presidential administrations that make their jobs even harder. In other situations, though, a more mundane mistake may be to blame—for example, a form getting misplaced after being printed out in a USCIS office or lost in a pile atop a particular employee’s desk.

Still, the delay may stem not from USCIS directly, but one of the various federal agencies it works with while it is reviewing an application. Once USCIS passes an application over to the FBI or a similar agency for a background check, for instance, that application is out of the hands of any USCIS employee and could be delayed by any number of issues or concerns within the investigating agency.

Finally, it is worth noting that some immigration delays stem from errors made by the applicant, like forgetting to include a required form or not filling one out correctly. Assistance from a seasoned attorney can be key not just to avoiding these kinds of immigration delays in the first place, but also to addressing immigration lags in Kennewick caused by other problems.

How to Resolve an Immigration Delay in Kennewick

Under ideal circumstances, contacting USCIS directly with help from legal counsel can be enough to get an application moving again, or at least identify what the reason for the initial delay was. In extreme situations, though, it may be necessary to file something called a mandamus lawsuit in federal court. This is a request for enforcement of the Administrative Procedure Act and its requirement that federal agencies perform duties assigned to them in reasonably prompt fashion.

Importantly, achieving a writ of mandamus through such a lawsuit does not guarantee a positive resolution to the application in question, but it generally will guarantee that the applicant will receive a meaningful progress update and/or a final verdict on that application shortly thereafter. An immigration delay lawyer in Kennewick could explain this tactic, and other options, in more detail during a confidential consultation.

Consider Working with a Kennewick Immigration Delay Attorney

While wait times of several months to sometimes years for a response from USCIS is far from uncommon, there are situations where processing delays go on for an unreasonably long time. If you believe your situation meets those criteria, help from legal counsel could be vital to proactively finding a solution.

A Kennewick immigration delay lawyer could work diligently on your behalf to get your application moving again and give you peace of mind. Call today to schedule a meeting.