USCIS Transfers I-485s to NSC and TSC

The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) reports that in anticipation of the next phase of what U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services calls its "Bi-Specialization Program," I-485 adjustment of status applications are being transferred from USCIS' California Service Center to the Nebraska Service Center, and from the Vermont Service Center to the Texas Service Center. This transfer of applications includes cases that are subject to visa retrogression and security/background checks. Transfer notices will be sent and the USCIS online system will be updated when a transfer occurs. AILA has confirmed that transferred cases will go into the queue based on original filing date and not the date of the transfer .

On March 24, 2006, USCIS released the notice of filing changes which marked the first phase of the USCIS initiative to use centralized filing and bi-specialized adjudication. The Vermont and California Service Center will process all I-129 Petitions for a Nonimmigrant Worker and related dependent applications. The Nebraska and Texas Service Center will process all I-140 Immigrant Petitions for Alien Worker and related permanent residency applications.