Why is my I-485 application being processed in the California Service Center if we're from Texas?

Question

My dad (who's a US citizen) sent in my I-130 and I-485 (I'm under 21) applications, but Immigration sent them to be processed at the California Service Center.

The thing is, we live in Houston, so why wouldn't it be sent to the Texas Service Center?

The I-485 processing time at the California center is a year later than the one in Texas, so I'm a bit upset by this.

Why wouldn't they send it to the Texas Service Center?

Answer 1

TSC was backloged with a tremendous caseload. they started to transfer cases to the CSC about 3-4 years ago.  If you remember you mailed your applications to chicago,il, the receipts came from california, your interview will be in houston. lately your type of case has been processed with 4-6 months. i don't know how they came up with faster processing time by having cases go trhough 3 different locations but they have been doing a great job in speeding up the adjustment process. one problem that i have seen is they they are proceesing so fast they some people have gotten denial letters in the mail after 4 months for not appearing for the interviews, problem is the applicants did not ever receive the appointment notice. i have had file motions to reopen for 3 separate cases in the last 12 months, which have been reopened and approved. small number but still a problem if happens to you. it would cost an additional $585.00

Answer 2

I-485 cases are actually processed by a USCIS Local Office after it has been processed by the National Benefit Center in Chicago. Where as some applications are handled by the USCIS Service Center having jurisdiction over the area in which you reside, the I-485 is not one of them.

An I-485 is mailed to Chicago, and then they forward it on to your local USCIS office. However, in some cases where the local office is dealing with a backlog, I-485 applications in particular are transferred out to California Service Center and sometimes Vermont Service Center.

The processing dates reported by USCIS should be taken with a hefty pinch of salt. They do not represent the time it is taking them to process a particular type of case, it's a measurement of the oldest case they have of that type. People often call USCIS and ask why their case has not been updated. USCIS is not obliged to take action unless their case is outside the standard processing times. Rather than work on the older cases, they move the goalposts so to speak and move the processing date back. Now the individual who called to complain is not outside processing times and USCIS doesn't have to drop everything to work on their case.

In short, don't rely in the USCIS processing times to judge the speed of your case.

You may also be interested to read that when a case is transfered to California Service Center rather than a local office, it's very likely that your case will not require an interview to be approved. Cases at CSC are more and more being adjudicated without interview, as requiring interview would mean sending the case out to a local office.

I personally had this happen. I mailed my I-485 (based on marriage) to the NBC in Chicago. Rather than it being sent to New Orleans local office, it was sent to CSC where it was approved in under 6 months without interview. Being transfered to CSC is not a bad thing, if you can stop taking the processing times as gospel.