TSC PLUS Pilot of I-140 and I-485 Concurrent Filings
Posted Feb 22, 2008
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The Texas Service Center (TSC) has started a new system for reviewing and adjudicating concurrently filed adjustment of status cases. These include concurrent filings of: I-140 (employer petition for foreign national worker) with the I-485 (application to adjust status to permanent residence) accompanied by the I-765 (application for the employment authorization document, or EAD) and I-131 (application for advance parole, or AP). The new system, announced in mid February 2008, is called PLUS Pilot. Essentially, rather than processing each application / petition in a packet separately, the entire packet is reviewed by one officer. This is intended to reduce duplication of effort and other inefficiencies.  
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Prior System : Each Application / Petition Separated
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Until the PLUS Pilot program, each application or petition in a concurrently-filed packet was separated and sent to a different officer for action. Under the PLUS Pilot program, the whole group of filings will remain with one officer, in an effort toward efficiency and cost savings.
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RFEs May Include Multiple Filings
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As a result of this program, there may be some Requests for Evidence (RFEs) that address multiple applications filed as part of the same packet. That is, normally, RFEs were issued with questions pertaining to only one specific pending application or petition. With the new program, for example, an RFE could be issued with questions pertaining to both the I-485 and the I-765.
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Conclusion
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Every procedure has pros and cons. Presumably, the forms were previously separated and sent to officers specializing in particular areas of adjudication. Of course, as mentioned, this can lead to duplicated effort and wasted time and resources. The volume of filings in the summer of 2007 necessitates improved efficiency, if the USCIS is going to process cases within a reasonable timeframe. This new system of case review does not change the fact that I-485s cannot be approved unless there is an available visa number. Additionally, it is not clear if the RFEs will be issued to include issues with both I-140 and I-485, since the I-140 petition is filed by the employer, while the I-485 application is filed by the foreign national.