2023-17377. Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision of a Currently Approved Collection: USCIS Online Account Access

AGENCY:

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security.

ACTION:

60-Day notice.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment upon this proposed revision of a currently approved collection of information. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the information collection notice is published in the Federal Register to obtain comments regarding the nature of the information collection, the categories of respondents, the estimated burden ( i.e. the time, effort, and resources used by the respondents to respond), the estimated cost to the respondent, and the actual information collection instruments.

DATES:

Comments are encouraged and will be accepted for 60 days until October 13, 2023.

ADDRESSES:

All submissions received must include the OMB Control Number 1615–0122 in the body of the letter, the agency name and Docket ID USCIS–2011–0015. Submit comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal website at https://www.regulations.gov under e-Docket ID number USCIS–2011–0015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

USCIS, Office of Policy and Strategy, Regulatory Coordination Division, Samantha Deshommes, Chief, telephone number (240) 721–3000 (This is not a toll-free number. Comments are not accepted via telephone message). Please note contact information provided here is solely for questions regarding this notice. It is not for individual case status inquiries. Applicants seeking information about the status of their individual cases can check Case Status Online, available at the USCIS website at https://www.uscis.gov, or call the USCIS Contact Center at 800–375–5283 (TTY 800–767–1833).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments

You may access the information collection instrument with instructions or additional information by visiting the Federal eRulemaking Portal site at: https://www.regulations.gov and entering USCIS–2011–0015 in the search box. All submissions will be posted, without change, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.gov, and will include any personal information you provide. Therefore, submitting this information makes it public. You may wish to consider limiting the amount of personal information that you provide in any voluntary submission you make to DHS. DHS may withhold information provided in comments from public viewing that it determines may impact the privacy of an individual or is offensive. For additional information, please read the Privacy Act notice that is available via the link in the footer of https://www.regulations.gov.

Written comments and suggestions from the public and affected agencies should address one or more of the following four points:

(1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility;

(2) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and

(4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses.

Overview of This Information Collection

(1) Type of Information Collection: Revision of a Currently Approved Collection.

(2) Title of the Form/Collection: USCIS Online Account Access.

(3) Agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of the DHS sponsoring the collection: No Agency Form Number; USCIS.

(4) Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as well as a brief abstract: Primary: Individuals or households; Business or other for-profit. In order to create a new USCIS Online Account, members of the public ( i.e. users) must submit a valid email address; create a password; select their preferred method for interacting with a two-step verification process (authentication app, text message, or email); and provide responses to five password reset questions of their choice. Any given email address may be associated with only one USCIS Online Account; users may not establish multiple accounts using the same email address. A user is required to complete a two-step verification process upon creation of a new account and during each subsequent log-in. USCIS makes use of the information received during the account creation process to set up the user's profile. Once the account is established/the user has logged in, the user can edit/add certain profile information or select a USCIS online system with which to interact.

The myUSCIS system's registrant account is being enhanced to allow companies to set up company administrator accounts with company and personal profiles and to file Form I–129 petitions in addition to H–1B Registrations. The company account will have functionality that allows a company administrator to invite company members to join a company group and collaborate on H–1B Registrations and Form I–129 petitions. Company members will complete a personal profile. The burden to respondents for creating company and personal profiles, and for creating and accepting/declining invitations to join a company group, is being captured under OMB Control Number 1615–0122.

USCIS systems currently accessible by logging in through the USCIS Online Account Access process are: myUSCIS, the Freedom of Information Act electronic request system (FIRST), and myE-Verify. These systems serve specific, unique purposes and may require the user to provide information beyond what is required to create an account/log in through the USCIS Online Account Access process. Each system may be considered a collection of information in its own right and be covered by its own OMB Control Number. USCIS may add additional online systems for public use in the future.

(5) An estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount of time estimated for an average respondent to respond: The estimated total number of respondents for the information collection USCIS Online Account Access process for Individuals or Households is 4,240,000 and the estimated hour burden per response is 0.167 hours; the estimated total number of respondents for the information collection USCIS Online Account Access process for Businesses or other for-profit is 1,060,000 and the estimated hour burden per response is 0.167 hours; the estimated total number of respondents for the information collection for Company Account Profiles is 150,000 and the estimated hour burden per response is 0.167 hours; the estimated total number of respondents for the information collection for Company Account Invitations is 150,000 and the estimated hour burden per response is 0.167 hours.

(6) An estimate of the total public burden (in hours) associated with the collection: The total estimated annual hour burden associated with this collection is 935,200 hours.

(7) An estimate of the total public burden (in cost) associated with the collection: The estimated total annual cost burden associated with this collection of information is $0.

Dated: August 8, 2023.

Samantha L. Deshommes,

Chief, Regulatory Coordination Division, Office of Policy and Strategy, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security.