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Immigration and Naturalization Service's Ability
to Provide Timely and Accurate Alien Information
to the Social Security Administration

Report Number I-2003-001
November 2002


CONCLUSION

This DOJ OIG limited review summarizes two systems that are used by the INS and SSA to provide critical alien information to the SSA - DataShare and NIIS. We found that the INS is able technologically to provide information to the SSA using DataShare. The INS and DOS have transmitted immigrant petition and application data using DataShare since 1995 without experiencing any technological difficulties. In June 2002, the INS and the DOS successfully tested their portions of DataShare.

However, to improve the INS's capability to effectively share information with the SSA using DataShare, we urge that the INS develop policies and procedures for the implementation and management of DataShare. In addition, the INS should develop performance measures and management controls to monitor the performance of DataShare.

We found that the INS never established a 5-day time standard for the complete data updating process. The INS estimated that the complete process to upload information about nonimmigrants into NIIS should take approximately 11 to 13 workdays, not 5 workdays. This is an estimate based on reasonable approximations and assumptions.