Starting December 4, 1998, all treaty trader (E-1), treaty investor (E-2), and alien entrepreneur (EB-5) petitions and applications are to be filed at either the California or Texas Service Centers. The Texas Service Center will now have jurisdiction over petitions that would have gone to Vermont, and the California Service Center will have jurisdiction over petitions that would have gone to Nebraska.

It is hoped that more centralized processing of these often complex petitions will speed adjudication times by ensuring that they are examined by INS officers who have the necessary training and experience in business areas. Also, the treatment each case receives should be more comprehensive and effective.

Petitions already filed with the Nebraska and Vermont Service Centers will be forwarded by those Centers to the appropriate Center for 60 days following December 4. After this 60-day period, any of these petitions filed in Nebraska or Vermont will be returned with a notice specifying the appropriate Service Center.

The American Immigration Lawyers Association as well as several Congressional Representatives have expressed concern that the change will have a negative impact on processing times. The INS admits that there will be a short-term negative impact on processing times, but that plans are being worked out to get processing times back on track.