Some Pending H1Bs Transferred to California Service Center

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on December 23, 2013 that some H1B extension petitions filed with the Vermont Service Center (VSC) are being transferred to the California Service Center (CSC) for adjudication. This case transfer is due to the need to create a better workload balance among the service centers.

Notice Issued if Case Transferred

A petitioner with a pending case that is transferred to the CSC should expect to receive an I-797 transfer notice from the USCIS. The receipt number should remain unchanged. Any future correspondence regarding the petition, such as a response to a request for evidence (RFE), if necessary, should be sent to the CSC. Similarly, the final case decision will be issued by the CSC.

Reason for Transfer is Workload Balance

As noted in the MurthyDotCom NewsBrief, USCIS Transfers Case Types to Balance Workload (19.Aug.2013), the USCIS occasionally transfers cases from one service center to another to equalize workloads among the USCIS facilities. In recent months, the VSC has suffered noticeable delays in the adjudication of H1B extension petitions, likely resulting in this workload transfer to the CSC in an effort to reduce case processing times.

Conclusion

Those who receive transfer notices should understand that this is a routine matter, and not a cause for concern. MurthyDotCom will provide updates on H1B adjudication issues as new information becomes available.

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