New York, Jan 4 (IANS) An antiquated paper-based application process prevents the US immigration department from effectively handling millions of applications it receives for permanent residency in the country, an official said.

A report by US Homeland security inspector general Richard L. Skinner said that several efforts to modernise the computer network of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have gone astray.

A project to replace the USCIS' nationwide computer network was halted because the agency lacks $72 million to complete it. A staff reorganisation was also frozen.

This has also hindered the day-to day IT operation of the agency, said the report.

Consequently, many legal immigrants are made to wait for years to get their green cards, often a first step towards obtaining US citizenship.

Another 100,000 names submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for background checks have been on hold for a year or more. Congressional auditors recently reported that 14 immigration offices had lost track of 111,000 files as of July, according to the Washington Post.

"Congress needs to step up and provide the funding to ensure that USCIS is able to build a functioning infrastructure, regardless of the fate of immigration reform," said Crystal Williams, deputy director of programmes for the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

In August, USCIS announced that it has awarded a five-year $150 million contract to convert 55 million files into electronic form.

(Mayank Chhaya is a US-based journalist and commentator. He can be reached at chooki6@yahoo.com)

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