**GAO-02-168T**                      Published: Oct 17, 2001. Publicly Released: Oct 17, 2001.                  

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## Highlights

The Immigration and Naturalization's (INS) organizational structure has led to recurring management problems, including an inability to balance competing priorities, poor communications, and weaknesses in the development and fielding of critical information technology. Although restructuring may help, INS will still need to assemble the basic building blocks essential to any organization. These building blocks include clearly delineated roles and responsibilities, policies and procedures that effectively balance competing priorities, effective internal and external communication and coordination, and computer systems that provide accurate and timely information. Until these element are in place, it will be difficult to enforce the nation's immigration laws effectively.

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## Topics

Government Operations

Agency missionsCommunicationGeneral management reviewsInformation technologyStrategic planningH-1B VisasImmigrationImmigration statusNaturalizationSmuggling