Instead of asking Congress for more money the Citizenship and Immigration Services decided to take matters into their own hands and raise the cost of applications and certain fees to increase their staff. But they were underestimating the workload they were going to receive to their already understaffed departments. Now with millions of people applying all at once before the prices increase again might not have a chance to have a say or make a difference in the 2008 elections.
Many applicants are frustrated because they have had to set plans back to travel due to the delays. Others are anxious because they want to be part of the upcoming elections but it seems like they will just be spectators. At last, some countries and activist are also depending on people becoming naturalized in order to help them pass or at least support certain immigration issues.
The first process, in the whole naturalization and residency,returning receipts for checks written to cover fees, on behalf of these offices, which at this point is months behind schedule. Normally such receipts are returned to applicants within a week to 10 days. Priority is now being given to to naturalization applicants in order for them to vote in the primaries that begin January.
"The American Immigration Lawyers Association, a private legal advocacy group, said it was told by agency officials that 3.5 million applications had come in over a two-month period."
Besides the applications of residency and naturalization, the request for Visa's are always increasing the workload. Due to a current law that was passed anybody traveling to Canada, Mexico, or the Bahamas is required to have a Visa.
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