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GAO-04-309R 1 (2004-01-05)

handle is hein.gao/gaocrptapun0001 and id is 1 raw text is: 



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         Aco untability * Integrity * Reliability
United States General Accounting Office
Washington, D.C. 20548



                                     January 5, 2004

                                     The Honorable Orrin G. Hatch
                                     Chairman
                                     The Honorable Patrick J. Leahy
                                     Ranking Minority Member
                                     Committee on the Judiciary
                                     United States Senate

                                     The Honorable E James Sensenbrenner, Jr.
                                     Chairman
                                     The Honorable John Conyers, Jr.
                                     Ranking Minority Member
                                     Committee on the Judiciary
                                     House of Representatives

                                     Subject: Immigration Application Fees: Current Fees Are Not Sufficient
                                     to Fund U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' Operations

                                     The Homeland Security Act of 2002 (HSA)' established the Bureau of
                                     Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS)2 within the Department of
                                     Homeland Security (DHS). CIS is responsible for several functions
                                     transferred from the former Immigration Services Division of the
                                     Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) under the Department of
                                     Justice. CIS's functions include adjudicating and processing applications
                                     for U.S. citizenship and naturalization, administering work authorizations
                                     and other petitions, and providing services for new residents and citizens.
                                     CIS collects fees from applicants to process the various immigration-
                                     related applications and petitions. CIS also receives appropriated funds to
                                     pay for administrative and overhead costs such as records management
                                     and backlog reduction.3 HSA requires that we report on whether CIS is
                                     likely to derive sufficient funds from fees to carry out its functions in the
                                     absence of appropriated funds.4


                                     1Pub. L. No. 107-296, § 451, 116 Stat. 2195.

                                     'The bureau is now referred to as the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
                                     (CIS).
                                     3A backlog exists when the processing time for a newly filed application exceeds the
                                     processing target time, which is 6 months or less for every application.
                                     4Pub. L. No. 107-296, § 477(d)(3), 116 Stat. 2210.


GAO-04-309R Immigration Application Fees


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