AAO Processing Times as of January 1, 2017

In January 2017, the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) modified how it presents processing time information. Previously, the AAO reported, by form type, the average completion time for the month’s cases. But certain scenarios (such as a month with few completions in certain categories) could result in an imprecise portrayal of processing times. The AAO will now provide, by form type, the total number of completions for the quarter and the percentage completed within 180 days, which is our goal. The AAO believes this change affords stakeholders more valuable information on our processing times.

The administrative appeals process has two stages: initial field review and AAO appellate review.

Initial field review: The office that issued the unfavorable decision has 45 days to evaluate the appeal and determine whether to take favorable action on the appeal. If that office does not take favorable action, it will forward the appeal to the AAO and send the appellant a Notice of Transfer to the AAO.

AAO appellate review: The AAO strives to complete its appellate review within 6 months from the time it receives a complete case record after the initial field review. Some cases may take longer than 6 months due to factors beyond the AAO’s control. For example, additional documentation may be needed to complete the record, or the case may be more complex and require additional review.

The following chart shows the percentage of cases the AAO completed within 180 days, by case category, during the most recent quarter of the fiscal year. These data include all AAO dispositions for the listed form types. If a case category is not listed, the AAO issued no appeal decisions for that category in the most recent quarter.

Timeliness of Fiscal Year 2017 First Quarter Completions (October-December 2016)