Comprised of approximately 30,600 employees with annual budget of around $5 billion, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the principal investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice. With offices located in all 50 states and 60 foreign countries, the FBI works to prevent the US from violent crime, corruption and the next terrorist attack.

The National Name Check Program (NNCP) is just one of the FBI’s significant tasks.

1. National Name Check Program (NNCP)

The National Name Check Program Section (NNCPS) of FBI consists of 3 units. Units I and II known as the dissemination units are responsible for reviewing and analyzing FBI records and providing results to customers. While Unit III consists of name search and file review two subcomponents. Name Search is responsible for expanded manual search of name check requests. And file review is responsible for initially locating and reviewing FBI files.

The mission of the NNCP is to disseminate information from the FBI’s files in response to requests from customers. Here the customers include federal agencies, congressional committees, federal judiciary, foreign police and intelligence agencies, and state and local criminal justice agencies.

2. USCIS in the NNCP

The largest customer of the NNCP is the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Take FY2005 for example, the total incoming name checks for FY 2005 is 3,346,435, while the name checks submitted by the USCIS have reached 1,512,256 with a percent of more than 45%. And by the end of 2005, 1,514,340 name checks submitted by the USCIS had been processed, 233,806 were still pending and 2,693 were expedited requests (requires total manual processing).

Commonly speaking, there are three conditions after submitting the name checks via magnetic tape: immediate evaluation by computer for “No-Records”, secondary manual search and the third condition needs retrieval and review of the FBI records. Also take FY2005 for instance:
• 68% of the names submitted by USCIS were initially returned as “No-Records”. A “No Record” indicates that the FBI’s index of records contains no record of an individual’s name. “No Records” are immediately identified and downloaded onto a tape returned to USCIS.
• A secondary manual search identified an additional 22% of the names submitted as “No Records” within 30-60 days.
• The remaining 10% required retrieval and review of an FBI record, which takes longer.
– The record(s) must be located and analyzed.
– The number of records required to be reviewed in addition to locating and obtaining the records, combined with the current backlog can extend the time it takes to complete.
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3. Backlog in the name check and solutions
FBI is experiencing significant backlog in name check requested by USCIS. From December 2002 to January 2003, USCIS resubmitted 2.7 Million names in addition to regular submissions. Some factors may cause a delay in processing a Name Check, such as:
• The volume of incoming name checks requiring manual processing vs. the number of onboard employees – – workload outpaces staffing levels.
• The number of hits on a name when it is reviewed, i.e., the number of times the name appears in FBI records, which correlates to the number of records required to be reviewed.
• The processing of common names. Without detailed information in both the file and agency submission, it is difficult to determine whether or not a person with a common name is the same person mentioned in FBI records.
• The accessibility of the FBI record needed for review. If the date of the record is later than October 1995, the record text is available electronically; if the record predates October 1995, the paper record has to be located, pulled, and reviewed. A record could be at one of over 265 possible locations.

To resolve the backlog, both short-term improvements and long-term solutions are needed in FBI. For the short-term improvements:
• Requested increase in staffing level to process name checks.
• Continued development of the Dissemination Database – eliminates manual and duplicate preparation of reports to other Agencies, and provides avenues for future automation of the name check process.
• Partnership with other agencies to provide contractors / personnel.
• Procurement of employee development program to streamline training of new employees.
• Scanning paper files – Provides machine readable Documents for dissemination database to build an Electronic Records System allowing for future automation of the name check process.
• Working with customers to streamline incoming product and to automate exchange of information.
• Exploring technology updates to the Name Check process.

And for the long-term solutions:
• Paper files/information currently must be retrieved from over 265 different locations which can result in significant delays in processing.
• Will provide immediate access to records.
• Central repository will facilitate scanning of documents.

The National Name Check Program is a service program dedicated to meeting the name check needs of its customers (the submitting agency). Because the submitting agency dictates the order in which name checks are completed, public inquiries should be directed to the organization that received an individual’s original application. For example, beneficiary of immigration petitions should submit inquiries to USCIS rather than FBI.