Tags: Custom Kiosks, Government, Manufacturers, NCR Retail

8/01/11

Self-service technologies provider NCR Corp. and immigration filing solutions firm ClearPath, Inc. announced today that the two companies are piloting self-service technology that can help speed up the immigration process for more than 12 million legal immigrants.

The new NCR eGovernment kiosks will help legal residents complete and file their U.S. immigration forms quickly, reliably and cost-effectively, according to the companies. As part of the first pilot, new NCR eGovernment kiosks will be installed in five Houston retail stores operated by the Barri Financial Group, a provider of non-banking financial services for the U.S. Hispanic population.

NCR eGovernment kiosks will run ClearPath software that will provide legal immigrants the ability to complete common immigration forms at a fraction of the price typically charged by immigration facilitators, according to the announcement.

More than 100 million immigration forms are filed in the U.S. each year, and individual applicants frequently engage non-attorney third parties, often referred to as notarios, to prepare forms at fees of $250 to as much as $1,000 per form. While notarios market themselves as immigration experts, they often have no formal training in U.S. immigration law or processes.

In contrast, the ClearPath software empowers individuals to complete these forms themselves and is designed to help the user avoid common errors, such as entering incorrect alien registration numbers or codes for ports of entry that can cause the form to be rejected. The pilot will offer English and Spanish versions of five of the most common individual immigration forms: biographic information, change of address, employment authorization, green card (permanent residence) and individual tax ID number, and additional forms may be added in the coming months. ClearPath will charge individuals $25-$100 per form.

"There is an enormous population of residents struggling to file their various and often complex immigration forms," said Barri CEO Alberto Laureano in the announcement. "This process has to be done correctly or their immigration status can be affected, so many turn to individuals who hold themselves out as experts in U.S. immigration law for assistance. These individuals will charge outrageous sums of money for simple tasks."

"By applying our self-service expertise to the immigration filing process, we strive to make life easier for millions of people in America," said Tim Heffernan, vice president of government relations and emerging business opportunities, NCR Corp. "All around the world, there are government processes that can be accomplished more cost efficiently and more easily through self-service."