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GUEST COLUMN:  DEVELOPMENTS ON THE INS WEBSITE, BY INS WEB MANAGER GREGG BEYER
Our Goal: Your "First Stop Shopping" to Get "Gold Standard" INS Information and Forms: 
As you know, our revamped Internet Website, called INS Online, went public on August 12, 1999.  It was specifically designed as our first step on the road to electronic-government at INS.  In this initial step, we sought to provide basic immigration information and forms to our customers without their having to write, call or visit an INS office unnecessarily.  Eventually, and soon, we hope that this Website will be the first-stop for people looking for immigration information and their forms.  And, if people need more information or clarification after they have visited our Website, then they can now call the National Customer Service Center (NCSC) for live assistance, or they can still visit an Immigration Information Officer (IIO) at one of our field offices. Soon, all the telephone and customer service scripts used by the NCSC will be on the NCSC home page on the INS Website -- and we encourage people to read them before they call the NCSC.  The NCSC home page, which will be augmented in the near future with all the scripts, can be found at: http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/services/NCSC.htm 
We are delighted with the increased use of our Website. In just one year since its debut, the number of monthly visitors has doubled, from 500,000 per month in August 1999, to over 1 million in August 2000. 
In addition, over the past year, many of the features on the Website have been singled out for awards or special recognition. 
Of these many features, we are especially proud of the series "How Do I ...?" that provides easy access to information of particular relevance to a particular question that customers have.  Many people have said that they also like our History, Genealogy and Education feature, including the Teacher and Student Resources. We have had had several happy students (and some of their equally happy parents!) contact us about what a help these resources were to them and their research projects on immigration issues and history. 
Our "How Do I ...?" series can be found at: http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/howdoi.htm 
The History, Genealogy and Education feature is found at: http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/aboutins/history/index.htm 
Teacher and Student Resources can be found at: http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/aboutins/history/teacher/Resources.htm 
INS Forms: 
While in retrospect it should not have been surprising, the popularity of INS forms on the INS Website was really remarkable.  It has remained the single most popular feature of the INS Website over the entire year.  Because of this popularity, we first tried to ensure that all INS forms that the public needs were available through the INS Website.  Then, after we noticed that some people were getting confused about whether or not there was a fee and uncertain about where to file their applications, we created the Forms, Fees and Filing Locations Chart and published it on the Website to hopefully add some clarity. 
It can be found at: http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/index.htm#chart 
As we started putting all of our forms on the Internet, we found that many were no longer available in the original electronic format. Therefore, we had to publish scanned versions of these older forms. A few of them often did not download or print off very well.  So, we began their conversion to cleaner, crisper, more Internet-friendly formats.  This conversion is almost completed. In the process, we also did a review to ensure that the information on the Instructions and Forms themselves conformed to latest laws and regulations. In some cases, minor modifications or updates were made.  When these are published on the Website, they are given a new edition number, although previous editions are usually still valid -- and the form clearly states this.  For an explanation of this conversion, please see our "Important Note" available at: http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/index.htm 
However, in reviewing some of these older forms, we are finding that more substantive revisions to the forms may be required.  As these formal revisions take time to move through the approval and publication process, we have adopted an important interim step that people should be aware of.  From the Forms, Fees and Filing Locations Chart, customers are sent to what we call a "Forms Entry Page" (FEP) BEFORE they actually get to the form itself.  On these FEPs, we publish very important corrections and clarifications to information contained on the form.  People are encouraged to read the information on these FEPs very carefully BEFORE they download the form and fill it out.  The notes on the FEP are also being appended to the forms customers order from the INS Forms Center. Our goal is to ensure that the version of the form on the INS Website is always the "gold standard" "latest and greatest" that we have and should be relied on for accuracy and timeliness.  If either condition is not met, please let us know through "Feedback."  Other Websites that provide INS forms for free are encouraged to link directly our Forms, Fees and Filing Locations Chart (URL listed above), or at least to the individual FEPs before they link their customers to the forms themselves.  Otherwise, some of their customers will miss out on important information and clarifications contained ONLY on the FEPs!! 
For example, please see the FEP for the following forms: 
I-129 at http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/i-129.htm 
I-131 at http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/i-131.htm 
I-485 at http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/i-485.htm 
N-400 at http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/n-400.htm 
Also, please note that we have published a new version of the AR-11 Change of Address card  at: http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/ar-11.htm 
Still on the subject of Forms, and as the "Important Note" referenced above states, we are publishing versions of our forms that can be downloaded, filled out on your computer, and then printed off before mailing to us.  This "forms fillable" feature should be a great service to both INS clients and INS data entry staff.  The first of these fillable forms will be published during October.  A little icon will note which forms have this feature. 
And finally on the subject of forms, several people have written to us complaining that certain Websites are selling INS forms to the public. This is sad -- because the form(s) they are selling may not be the latest available, and because all INS public use forms are available for free from the INS Website. 
One of my "favorites" is the Website charging $60 for a copy of the postcard AR-11!   Another provides a CD-ROM of complete forms -- updated last n 1997! But, as I tell folks, if people want to buy bottled water when alternatives are available for free, I suppose they will buy INS forms from these Websites. But it is NOT necessary. 
INS Field Offices: 
In addition to the home pages published for all 90 INS District Offices and their Sub Offices, we are now in the process of publishing home pages for each of our Border Patrol Sector offices, and all of our INS offices overseas. When this is completed, home pages for over 150 INS field offices will be available online. 
Unfortunately, these rich resources of local information and contact points are still not getting the attention they deserve.  This remains one of my continuing disappointments -- that these very useful home pages are not consulted by very many people each month.  Our most popular District Office home pages have only 11,000 visitors each month -- out of a total of 1 million total visitors to the Website!  Still, I get questions from the public asking for addresses and telephone numbers of local offices -- indicating to me that they did not try our Field Offices section on the Website before writing to us.  Please do. You should not be disappointed. 
Feedback on these field office pages is important.  Customers are encouraged to send their comments to them.  You can send them comments (compliments or complaints) on field office service or your suggestions about the information on their home pages.  These can be sent to name and address listed under "Customer Feedback" under the "Contacting Us" part of each field office's "About Us." Let them know what you would like to see on their home pages that would be of even greater use to you.  Field office home pages can be found at: http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/fieldoffices/index.htm 
News and What's New? 
We try to highlight our most important new developments or publications on the front page of our Website.  But, we also know that there are many repeat customers coming to INS Online.  To help make their visits shorter but more productive, we beefed up our "What's New" button. Under this button, we have a link to a Chronology of Latest Public Information Releases, and another link to a Chronology of latest INS-related Federal Register.  Also on the What's New page, we list the sections newly published for the month.  This latter list will shortly be streamlined to make it more user-friendly. 
    http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/whatsnew.htm 
Immigration Services and Benefits: 
Last month we added important new information to our Immigration Services and Benefits section, especially under Lawful Permanent Residency and under Temporary Visitors.  Readers may wish to check these out. 
Lawful Permanent Residency at: 
http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/services/residency/index.htm 
Temporary Visitors at: 
http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/services/tempbenefits/index.htm 
Email Us Your Feedback: 
Finally, Feedback from our customers is important to us.  We want to know what people like about the Website, what they don't like, what else they would like added to it.  Therefore, as of next week, we are upgrading our Feedback feature to permit people to email -- yes, email -- their comments to us via the Internet.  Check out the changes to this feature.  PLEASE NOTE: While we may not be able to respond to your feedback, we will read all of it and learn from it. We have already made several changes based on written feedback received via snail mail.  This Feedback feature can be found at: http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/feedback.htm 
More to Come: 
Readers should note that many additional features on the INS Website are PLANNED, but not yet up.  INS Handbooks and Guides is a dead link, as is the INS Guides to the Public.  When we have stuff to publish, it will go there.  We are working on adding an up-to-date list of physicians, as well as Processing Times at INS Service Centers.  Later next year, we hope to be able to provide secure privacy-protected case status information over the Internet.  Until then, we have to ask you to write or call as at present.  And, last week, we started publishing our Administrative Decisions.  These are part of our efforts to add even more public legal information to the INS Website.  Stay tuned.  The Admin decisions can be found at (although the URL will shortly change slightly!): 
    http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/aboutins/foia/ereadrm/reference/admindec/index.htm 
We are excited about our new Website -- and look forward to an even more productive and more useful second year. 
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Disclaimer: This newsletter is provided as a public service and not intended to establish an attorney client relationship. Any reliance on information contained herein is taken at your own risk.