The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is now supporting USCIS’ move
from a paper file-based system to a fully integrated and centralized
case management system for the processing of immigration benefits. This
transformation will allow USCIS to better manage multiple aspects of
immigration services, eliminate the capture and use of redundant data
and reduce the amount of forms required to be submitted which, in many
cases, will be automated. According to DHS, this transformation process
will be a multi-year initiative in which USCIS business processes and
technology systems will be restructured.
In an advance copy of the DHS final rule related to this transformation
process, it was noted that the agency will be removing references to
form numbers, form titles, expired regulatory provisions and
descriptions of internal procedures. Many of these will change during
the transformation process. In addition, DHS is working toward
finalizing interim rules that allowed for the submission of benefit
requests with electronic signatures in cases where those requests are
submitted electronically.