Supporting Statement
E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance
Form G-1145
OMB Control No. 1615-0109
A. Justification:
1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary. Include identification of any legal or administrative requirements that necessitate the collection. Attach a copy of appropriate section of each statute and/or regulation mandating or authorizing the collection of information.
On June 25, 2009, President Obama announced that within 90 days, USCIS would implement a capability for customers to stay informed on the status of their applications using technologies such as email and text messages. The Form G-1145 is used by applicants and petitioners to provide their cell phone number and email address with their application or petition if they want to receive notification by email or text messaging.
Authority: Section 103(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (Act).
2. Explain how, by whom, and for what purpose the information is to be used. For revised or extended collections, explain how USCIS has used the information on the current collection.
If an applicant or petitioner wants to be notified via email and/or text message on their cell phone that their application or petition has been accepted, they are requested to provide their email address and/or cell phone number on Form G-1145 and attach the form to their application or petition. USCIS will use this information as permission to send the e-notification within 24 hours of receipt of the application or petition.
The email or text message will not be the official notification. USCIS will send the official written notification via the U.S. Postal Service.
(See Form G-1145).
3. Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, eg. permitting electronic submission of responses, and the basis for the decision for adopting this means of collection. Also describe any consideration of using information technology to reduce the burden on the public.
The use of this notification provides the most efficient means for collecting and processing the required data. In this case USCIS does not employ the use of information technology in collecting and processing this information. However, as USCIS revises its forms as part of the Business Transformation Project, the email address and cell phone number will be captured electronically on the application or petition.
4. Describe efforts to identify duplication. Show specifically why any similar information already available cannot be used or modified for use for the purposes described in question 2 above.
The use of this notification provides the most efficient means for collecting and processing the required data.
5. If the information collection impacts small businesses or other small entities, describe any methods used to minimize the burden.
This collection of information does not have an impact on small businesses or other small entities.
6. Describe the consequences to the Federal program or policy activities if the collection of information is not conducted or is conducted less frequently, as well as any technical or legal obstacles to reducing the burden to the public.
If the information is not collected USCIS will not be able to notify the applicant or petitioner immediately by email or text messaging that his or her application or petition had been accepted.
7. Explain any of the 7 special circumstances that would cause an information collection to be conducted in a manner:
The special circumstances contained in item 7 of the supporting statement are not applicable to this information collection.
8. If applicable, provide a copy and identify the date and page number of publication in the Federal Register of the agency's notice required by 5 CFR 1320.8(d) soliciting comments on the information collection prior to submission to OMB.
USCIS published a 60-day notice in the Federal Register on October 16, 2009, at 74 FR 53284. USCIS did not receive any comments from the public. USCIS published a 30-day notice in the Federal Register on December 31, 2009, at 74 FR 69354.
9. Explain any decision to provide any payments or gift to respondents, other than remuneration of contractors or grantees.
USCIS does not provide payments or gifts to respondents in exchange for a benefit sought.
10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for the assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.
There is no assurance of confidentiality.
11. Provide additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual behavior, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered private.
There are no questions of a sensitive nature.
12. Provide estimates of the hour burden of collection of information.
Annual Reporting Burden:
a. Number of Respondents 1,000,000
b. Number of Responses per each Respondent 1
c. Total Annual Responses 1,000,000
d. Hours per Response .05
e. Total Annual Reporting Burden 50,000
Total annual reporting burden hours is 50,000. This figure was derived by multiplying number of respondents (1,000,000) x frequency of response (1) x .05 (3 minutes ) per response.
13. This question is directly related to question 14 which involves the requirement of a respondent to expend monies for a capitalized item to support recordkeeping requirements necessitated by the collection of information.
There are no capital or start-up costs associated with this information collection. Any cost burdens to respondents as a result of this collection are identified in question 14.
14. Provide estimates of annualized cost to the Federal government and to the public.
Annualized Cost Analysis:
a. Printing Cost $ 0
b. Collecting and Processing $ 1,300,000
c. Total Cost to Program $ 1,300,000
d. Fee Charge, if any $ 0
e. Total Annual Cost to Government $ 1,300,000
Government Cost
The estimated cost of the program to the Government is $ 1,300,000. This figure is calculated as follows:
The estimated annual public burden hour cost is $500,000. This is based on the number of respondents 1,000,000 x number of responses (1) x .05 (3 minutes) per response x $10 (average hourly rate). USCIS did not include the cost to the applicant/petitioner for text messaging since most cell phone users already pay for text messaging as part of their current cell phone agreement with their carrier. Accordingly, these users will not be billed by their carrier for receiving a text message from USCIS.
15. Provide the reasons for any changes in the burden hours (increase or decrease) and whether it is a result of an (adjustment or program change). If the form is being revised then mention that here as well.
There is no increase or decrease in the annual burden hours previously reported for this information collection.
16. For collections of information whose results will be published, outline plans for tabulation, and publication.
USCIS does not intend to employ the use of statistics for this collection of information.
If seeking to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection, explain the reasons that the display would be inappropriate.
DHS will not display the expiration date for this information collection on the form.
Displaying the expiration date serves no useful purpose for USCIS information collections, confuses the public, and requires USCIS to expend scarce fee revenue to re-program automated systems in order to change the expiration date.
At any given time there are numerous forms on the USCIS Web site that have dates on them that indicate that the form has “expired.”
The public, which is mostly unfamiliar with the Paperwork Reduction Act, does not know what that date means. Our experience indicates that much of the public interprets that date as meaning that the form has actually expired and thus there must be a current version available elsewhere.
USCIS call centers receive numerous unnecessary inquires about the “new” form when the version on the Web site has “expired” while USCIS awaits OMB approval of a revision or extension of the currently approved information collection.
USCIS has recently posted a notice on its Web site informing the public that a form on that site that indicates that it has expired is still valid and accepted, which renders the expiration date meaningless.
In the case of a request for an extension of an approved information collection, many of which USCIS must provide annually, the only change on the form may be the expiration date. In that case, the USCIS centralized Lockbox intake facility still must re-program its software to update it for the current version of the form at a cost of $1,000. More extensive changes are more costly.
Not displaying the expiration date on the form would allow USCIS to forego reprogramming costs in the case of a simple extension.
Accordingly, USCIS requests permission to not display the expiration date of this information collection because displaying the expiration date confuses the public, serves no purpose, and may require inefficient expenditure of fee revenue collected from those who have requested immigration benefits.
18. Explain each exception to the certification statement.
USCIS does not request an exception to the certification of this information collection.
B. Collection of Information Employing Statistical Methods.
The agency should be prepared to justify its decision not to use statistical methods in any case where such methods might reduce burden or improve accuracy of results.
Not Applicable.
In submitting this request for OMB approval, I certify that the requirements of the Privacy Act and OMB directives have been complied with including paperwork regulations, statistical standards or directives, and any other information policy directives promulgated under 5 CFR 1320.
____________________________ ___________________
Stephen Tarragon, Date
Deputy Chief,
Regulatory Products Division,
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | Attachment A |
| Author | S. Tarragon |
| Last Modified By | Evadne Hagigal |
| File Modified | 2010-01-07 |
| File Created | 2010-01-07 |