[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 249 (Thursday, December 29, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77172-77173]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-24636]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services


Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request

ACTION: 45-Day Notice of Information Collection under Review: r-
account, USCIS Form 3.

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    The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and 
Immigration Services (USCIS) has submitted the following information 
collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995. The information collection is published to obtain comments from 
the public and affected agencies. Comments are encouraged and will be 
accepted for forty-five days until February 13, 2006.
    Written comments and/or suggestions regarding the item(s) contained 
in this notice, especially regarding the estimated public burden and 
associated response time, should be directed to the Department of 
Homeland Security (DHS), USCIS, Director, Regulatory Management 
Division, Clearance Office, 111 Massachusetts Avenue, 3rd floor, 
Washington, DC 20529. Comments may also be submitted to DHS via 
facsimile to 202-272-8352 or via e-mail at [email protected]. When 
submitting comments by e-mail please make sure to add USCIS Form 3 in 
the subject box. Written comments and suggestions from the public and 
affected agencies concerning the collection of information should 
address one or more of the following four points:
    (1) Evaluate whether the 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 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:

[[Page 77173]]

General Information

    The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is planning a 
broad restructuring of its business processes to move from an 
exclusively transaction based focus to customer accounts. Account 
management will permit USCIS to streamline benefits processing and 
eliminate the capture and processing of redundant data.
    In some respects the account focus represents more comprehensive 
information than USCIS has previously collected at one time. However, 
an account focus eliminates redundancy in that customers will not have 
to give the same information repeatedly. In addition, in many respects 
the account represents less total information than is cumulatively 
collected today as customers file various applications in their 
lifecycle with USCIS. But the American public expects USCIS to ask what 
it needs to know and to link that data with biometrics in order to 
deter and detect fraud, and thereby reduce national security risks. 
Moreover, the account system allows USCIS to avoid burdening the 
customer with repeated requests for the same information. It allows for 
address changes to be made by individuals, employers, and 
representatives one time in one place for all purposes, solving a huge 
customer and administrative burden to date. This account system finds 
the common ground between USCIS objectives and customer service, 
national security, and administrative efficiency. USCIS will be 
promulgating a rulemaking in the near future.
    (1) Type of Information Collection: New Collection.
    (2) Title of the Form/Collection: r-account.
    (3) Agency form number, if any, and the applicable component 
sponsoring the collection: USCIS Form 3. Office of Program and 
Regulations Development, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
    (4) Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as 
well as a brief abstract: Primary: Business or other for-profit 
entities. Secondary: Non-for-profit institutions. An attorney or 
accredited representative will use USCIS Form 3 to register with USCIS 
as a prerequisite to appearing before USCIS on behalf of an individual 
submitting an application or petition for an immigration benefit.
    (5) An estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount 
of time estimated for an average respondent to respond: 10,000 
responses at .33 hours (20 minutes) per response.
    (6) An estimate of the total public burden (in hours) associated 
with the collection: 3,300 annual burden hours. Attorneys and 
accredited representatives will only be required to file USCIS Form 3 
once. Therefore, because most attorneys and accredited representatives 
handle matters before USCIS for longer than one year, we expect the 
number of respondents, and the reporting burden and costs derived from 
that number, to drop after one year.
    If you have additional comments, suggestions, or need a copy of the 
proposed information collection instrument with instructions, or 
additional information, please visit the USCIS Web site at: http://uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/pra/index.htm.
    If additional information is required contact: USCIS, Regulatory 
Management Division, 111 Massachusetts Avenue, 3rd Floor, Washington, 
DC 20529, (202) 272-8377.

    Dated: December 23, 2005.
Richard A. Sloan,
Director, Regulatory Management Division, U.S. Citizenship and 
Immigration Services.
[FR Doc. 05-24636 Filed 12-28-05; 8:45 am]
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