Many individuals are having their naturalization process significantly delayed due to a pending and uncompleted FBI name check.  Hence, many naturalization cases can go on for years until these checks are being completed by the F.B.I.  In response to this severe problem, the USCIS and the FBI announced on April 2, 2008 that they have established a series of milestones prioritizing work based on the age of the pending name check.   The new release indicates that the FBI has already eliminated all name check cases pending for more than four years.    The goal of this new project is to complete 98 percent of all name checks within 30 days.  In addition, the agencies’ remaining objective is to resolve the remaining two percent within 90 days or less.  The cases comprising this 2 percent consist of the most difficult name checks.  The USCIS and FBI hope to achieve and sustain these processing times by June 2009.  Immigration practitioners are hopeful that this new objective by the USCIS will lead to citizenship for many worthy people.  If you have any questions regarding a pending naturalization case or pending name check, you should contact an immigration practitioner.