Federal Agencies, FR Regulations & Notices

INS Expansion of Direct Mail Program

3/23/98 AILA Doc. No. 98032360. Naturalization & Citizenship
[Federal Register: March 23, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 55)]
[Notices]
[Page 13878]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23mr98-103]

[[Page 13878]]

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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Immigration and Naturalization Service

[INS No. 1886-97]

Expansion of the Direct Mail Program for the Honolulu, Phoenix and San Diego District Offices and the Agana, Calexico, Las Vegas, Reno and Tucson Suboffices; Form N-400

AGENCY: Immigration and Naturalization Service, Justice.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS or Service) is expanding its Direct Mail Program to include the Honolulu, Phoenix, and San Diego District Offices and the Agana, Calexico, Las Vegas, Reno, and Tucson Suboffices on the current list of direct mail sites for filing Form N-400, Application for Naturalization. Applicants residing within these districts and suboffices will mail their Form N-400 directly to the designated INS service center for processing. This expansion is intended to improve INS service to the public by reducing processing times for Form N-400, limiting in-person visits to local offices, and improving the quality of case status information provided to the public.

DATES: This notice is effective March 23, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Arroyo, Adjudications Officer, Immigration and Naturalization Service, Office of Naturalization Operations, 801 I Street, NW., Room 935E, Washington, DC 20536, telephone, (202) 514-8247.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Direct Mail Program, certain applicants and petitioners for immigration benefits mail their applications and petitions directly to an INS service center for processing instead of submitting them to a local INS office. The purposes and strategy of the Direct Mail Program have been discussed in detail in previous rulemaking and notices (see, e.g., 59 FR 33903 and 59 FR 33985).

The Service is continuing expansion of the Direct Mail Program, as applied to Form N-400, by adding the Honolulu, Phoenix, and San Diego District Offices and the Agana, Calexico, Las Vegas, Reno, and Tucson Suboffices as Direct Mail sites.

Where To File

Effective March 23, 1998 applicants for naturalization residing within the jurisdiction of the Honolulu, Phoenix, and San Diego District Offices and the Agana, Calexico, Las Vegas, Reno, and Tucson Suboffices must mail the Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, directly to the California Service Center at the following address: USINS California Service Center, Attention: N-400 Unit, P.O. Box 10400, Laguna Niguel, California 92607-0400.

Transition

During the first 60 days following the effective date of this notice, the Honolulu, Phoenix, and San Diego District Offices and the Agana, Calexico, Las Vegas, Reno, and Tucson Suboffices will forward in a timely fashion to the California Service Center any Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, which has been inadvertently filed with the respective District or Suboffice. Applicants will be provided a notice at the time of filing at the District or Suboffice advising them that their application is being forwarded to the service center for initial processing. The applicant will receive written notification from their respective District or Suboffice of the date, place, and time of their interview for naturalization. When applications are forwarded from the District or Suboffices, they will be receipted and filed when they arrive at the service center. After the 60-day transition period, applicants attempting to file Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, at the offices listed above will be directed to mail their application directly to the California Service Center for processing.

Dated: March 16, 1998.
Doris Meissner,
Commissioner, Immigration and Naturalization Service.
[FR Doc. 98-7368 Filed 3-20-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-10-M
Cite as AILA Doc. No. 98032360.