Earlier this week, USCIS settled a class action lawsuit initiated by non-U.S. citizens who had either lost or were about to lose their eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) due to a seven-year limit and could not become U.S. citizens prior to losing their benefits. The lawsuit titled Kaplan, et al. v. Chertoff, et al. has led to a settlement agreement that took place on May 5 and will remain in effect until February 5, 2011.

As part of the settlement agreement, USCIS will now expedite Form I-485s (Applications to Register Permanent Status or Adjust Status) and Form N-400s (Applications for Naturalization) for current and former SSI beneficiaries in cases where applications have been pending with USCIS for more than 6 months. This expedited process will include an accelerated FBI name check and the prioritization of certain USCIS-related events, such as scheduling interviews. Cases for individuals who have I-482 or N-400s pending with USCIS for more than 6 months and have lost or will lose their SSI benefits will be expedited, even if applicants have not yet requested expedited processing.