Agency overview | |
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Formed | March 1, 2003 |
Jurisdiction | Federal government of the United States |
Headquarters | 5900 Capital Gateway Drive Camp Springs, MD, U.S. |
Employees | 21,253 (2021) [1] |
Annual budget | $4.235 billion (2021) [1] |
Agency executive | |
Parent agency | United States Department of Homeland Security |
Key document | |
Website | www |
United States citizenship and immigration |
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Immigration |
Citizenship |
Agencies |
Legislation |
History |
Relevant legislation |
United Statesportal |
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) [3] is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that administers the country's naturalization and immigration system. It is a successor to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), which was dissolved by the Homeland Security Act of 2002 and replaced by three components within the DHS: USCIS, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
USCIS performs many of the duties of the former INS, namely processing and adjudicating various immigration matters, including applications for work visas, asylum, and citizenship. Additionally, the agency is officially tasked with safeguarding national security, maintaining immigration case backlogs, and improving efficiency. Ur Jaddou has been the director of USCIS since August 3, 2021.
USCIS processes immigrant visa petitions, naturalization applications, asylum applications, applications for adjustment of status (green cards), and refugee applications. It also makes adjudicative decisions performed at the service centers, and manages all other immigration benefits functions (i.e., not immigration enforcement) performed by the former INS. The USCIS's other responsibilities include:
While core immigration benefits functions remain the same as under the INS, a new goal is to process immigrants' applications more efficiently. Improvement efforts have included attempts to reduce the applicant backlog and providing customer service through different channels, including the USCIS Contact Center with information in English and Spanish, Application Support Centers (ASCs), the Internet, and other channels. Enforcement of immigration laws remains under Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
USCIS focuses on two key points on the immigrant's path to civic integration: when they first become permanent residents and when they are ready to begin the formal naturalization process. A lawful permanent resident is eligible to become a U.S. citizen after holding the Permanent Resident Card for at least five continuous years, with no trips out of the country of 180 days or more. [4] If the lawful permanent resident marries a U.S. citizen, eligibility for U.S. citizenship is shortened to three years so long as the resident has been living with their spouse continuously for at least three years and the spouse has been a resident for at least three years. [5]
USCIS handles all forms and processing materials related to immigration and naturalization. This is evident from USCIS's predecessor, the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service), which is defunct as of March 1, 2003. [6] [ circular reference ]
USCIS handles two kinds of forms: those related to immigration, and those related to naturalization. Forms are designated by a specific name, and an alphanumeric sequence consisting of a letter followed by two or three digits. Forms related to immigration are designated with an I (for example, I-551, Permanent Resident Card) and forms related to naturalization are designated by an N (for example, N-400, Application for Naturalization).
No. | Portrait | Director | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | President |
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1 | Eduardo Aguirre (born 1946) | August 15, 2003 | June 16, 2005 | 1 year, 305 days | Republican | George W. Bush (R) | |
- | Michael Petrucelli Acting | June 17, 2005 | July 25, 2005 | 38 days | ? | George W. Bush (R) | |
2 | Emilio T. Gonzalez (born 1956) | December 21, 2005 | April 18, 2008 | 2 years, 119 days | Republican | George W. Bush (R) | |
- | Acting | Jonathan "Jock" ScharfenApril 21, 2008 | December 2, 2008 | 225 days | ? | George W. Bush (R) | |
3 | Alejandro Mayorkas (born 1959) | August 12, 2009 | December 23, 2013 | 4 years, 133 days | Democratic | Barack Obama (D) | |
- | Acting | Lori ScialabbaDecember 23, 2013 | July 9, 2014 | 198 days | ? | Barack Obama (D) | |
4 | León Rodríguez (born 1962) | July 9, 2014 | January 20, 2017 | 2 years, 195 days | Democratic | Barack Obama (D) | |
- | Acting | Lori ScialabbaJanuary 20, 2017 | March 31, 2017 | 70 days | ? | Donald Trump (R) | |
- | Acting | James W. McCamentMarch 31, 2017 | October 8, 2017 | 191 days | ? | Donald Trump (R) | |
5 | L. Francis Cissna (born 1966) | October 8, 2017 | June 1, 2019 | 1 year, 236 days | Independent | Donald Trump (R) | |
- | Ken Cuccinelli [1] (born 1968) Acting | June 10, 2019 | November 18, 2019 | 161 days | Republican | Donald Trump (R) | |
- | Acting | Mark KoumansNovember 18, 2019 | February 20, 2020 | 94 days | Independent | Donald Trump (R) | |
- | Acting | Joseph EdlowFebruary 20, 2020 | January 20, 2021 | 335 days | Independent | Donald Trump (R) | |
- | Acting | Tracy RenaudJanuary 20, 2021 | August 3, 2021 | 195 days | Independent | Joe Biden (D) | |
6 | Ur Mendoza Jaddou (born 1974) | August 3, 2021 | Incumbent | 2 years, 235 days | Independent | Joe Biden (D) |
1 Ken Cuccinelli served from July 8 to December 31, 2019, as de facto Acting Director. His tenure as Acting Director was ruled unlawful. He remained Principal Deputy Director at USCIS for the remainder of his tenure.
The United States immigration courts, immigration judges, and the Board of Immigration Appeals, which hears appeals from them, are part of the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) within the United States Department of Justice. (USCIS is part of the Department of Homeland Security.) [7]
USCIS's official website was redesigned in 2009 and unveiled on September 22, 2009. [8] The last major redesign before 2009 was in October 2006. The website now includes a virtual assistant, Emma, who answers questions in English and Spanish. [9]
USCIS's website contains self-service tools, including a case status checker and address change request form. Applicants, petitioners, and their authorized representatives can also submit case inquiries and service requests on USCIS's website. The inquiries and requests are routed to the relevant USCIS center or office to process. Case inquiries may involve asking about a case that is outside of normal expected USCIS processing times for the form. Inquiries and service requests may also concern not receiving a notice, card, or document by mail, correcting typographical errors, and requesting disability accommodations. [10]
If the self-service tools on USCIS's website cannot resolve an issue, the applicant, petitioner, or authorized representative can contact the USCIS Contact Center. If the Contact Center cannot assist the inquirer directly, the issue will be forwarded to the relevant USCIS center or office for review. Some applicants and petitioners, primarily those who are outside of the United States, may also schedule appointments on USCIS's website
Unlike most other federal agencies, USCIS is funded almost entirely by user fees, most of it via the Immigration Examinations Fee Account (IEFA). [11] USCIS is authorized to collect fees for its immigration case adjudication and naturalization services by the Immigration and Nationality Act. [12] In fiscal year 2020, USCIS had a budget of US$ 4.85 billion; 97.3% of it was funded by fees and 2.7% by congressional appropriations. [13]
USCIS consists of approximately 19,000 federal employees and contractors working at 223 offices around the world. [14]
USCIS's mission statement was changed on February 9, 2022. USCIS Director Jaddou announced the new mission statement. In 2021, USCIS leadership empowered employees to submit words that they felt best illustrated the agency's work. The new mission statement reflects this feedback from the workforce, the Biden administration's priorities, and Jaddou's vision for an inclusive and accessible agency. [15]
The mission statement now reads:
USCIS upholds America's promise as a nation of welcome and possibility with fairness, integrity, and respect for all we serve. [16]
The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was an agency of the U.S. Department of Labor from 1933 to 1940 and the U.S. Department of Justice from 1940 to 2003.
A green card, known officially as a permanent resident card, is an identity document which shows that a person has permanent residency in the United States. Green card holders are formally known as lawful permanent residents (LPRs). As of 2019, there are an estimated 13.9 million green card holders, of whom 9.1 million are eligible to become United States citizens. Approximately 18,700 of them serve in the U.S. Armed Forces.
United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the largest federal law enforcement agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security. It is the country's primary border control organization, charged with regulating and facilitating international trade, collecting import duties, as well as enforcing U.S. regulations, including trade, customs and immigration. CBP is one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the United States. It has a workforce of more than 45,600 federal agents and officers. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C.
A K-1 visa is a visa issued to the fiancé or fiancée of a United States citizen to enter the United States. A K-1 visa requires a foreigner to marry his or her U.S. citizen petitioner within 90 days of entry, or depart the United States. Once the couple marries, the foreign citizen can adjust status to become a lawful permanent resident of the United States. Although a K-1 visa is legally classified as a non-immigrant visa, it usually leads to important immigration benefits and is therefore often processed by the Immigrant Visa section of United States embassies and consulates worldwide.
TN status is a special non-immigrant classification of foreign nationals in the United States, which offers expedited work authorization to a citizen of Canada or a national of Mexico. It was created as a result of provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement that mandated simplified entry and employment permission for certain professionals from each of the three NAFTA member states in the other member states. The provisions of NAFTA relevant to TN status were then carried over almost verbatim to the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement that replaced NAFTA in 2020.
Parole, in the immigration laws of the United States, generally refers to official permission to enter and remain temporarily in the United States, under the supervision of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), without formal admission, and while remaining an applicant for admission.
Visitors to the United States must obtain a visa from one of the U.S. diplomatic missions unless they are citizens of one of the visa-exempt or Visa Waiver Program countries.
The Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy Act of 2007 or STRIVE Act of 2007 is proposed United States legislation designed to address the problem of illegal immigration, introduced into the United States House of Representatives. Its supporters claim it would toughen border security, increase enforcement of and criminal penalties for illegal immigration, and establish an employment verification system to identify illegal aliens working in the United States. It would also establish new programs for both illegal aliens and new immigrant workers to achieve legal citizenship. Critics allege that the bill would turn law enforcement agencies into social welfare agencies as it would not allow CBP to detain illegal immigrants that are eligible for Z-visas and would grant amnesty to millions of illegal aliens with very few restrictions.
The FBI Name Check is a background check procedure performed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for federal agencies, components within the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of the federal government; foreign police and intelligence agencies; and state and local law enforcement agencies within the criminal justice system. The FBI Name Check is performed by the FBI as a part of the National Name Check Program, which dates back to Executive Order 10450 that was issued during the Eisenhower Administration. The FBI Name Check for an individual involves a search of the FBI's Central Records System Universal Index for any appearance of the name of the individual, as well as close phonetic variants and permutations of that name, in any of the records stored in the Universal Index. If any such occurrences are found, the Name Check also involves retrieval and analysis of the relevant paper and electronic files from local FBI offices and from other law-enforcement agencies.
The Office of Immigration Statistics (OIS) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security under the Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans.
The U visa is a United States nonimmigrant visa which is set aside for victims of crimes who have suffered substantial mental or physical abuse while in the U.S. and who are willing to assist law enforcement and government officials in the investigation or prosecution of the criminal activity. It permits such victims to enter or remain in the US when they might not otherwise be able to do so. An advantage that comes along with the acceptance of a U-visa is the individual will have deportation protection which is important when they are collaborating with law enforcement.
The American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act (AC21) was an act passed by the government of the United States in October 2000, pertaining to immigration to the United States. It was a complement to the American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act that had been passed in 1998. The focus of AC21 was to change rules related to portability and caps for the H-1B visa to increase the effective number of visas available and make it easier for workers on those visas to switch jobs. Although the language of the Act references the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), the INS would soon be restructured and the functions of the INS referenced in AC21 would be handled by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The American Civics Test is an oral examination that is administered to immigrants who are applying for U.S. citizenship. The test is designed to assess the applicants' knowledge of U.S. history and government. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) administers the test as part of the naturalization process.
Premium Processing Service is an optional premium service offered by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to employers filing Form I-129 or Form I-140. To avail of the service, the employer needs to file Form I-907 and include a fee that is $1,500 for the H-2B and R classifications and $2,500 for all others.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issues a number of forms for people to submit to them relating to immigrant and non-immigrant visa statuses. These forms begin with the letter "I". None of the forms directly grants a United States visa, but approval of these forms may provide authorization for staying or extending one's stay in the United States as well as authorization for work. Some United States visas require an associated approved USCIS immigration form to be submitted as part of the application.
Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative is a form submitted to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services by a United States citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident petitioning for an immediate or close relative intending to immigrate to the United States. It is one of numerous USCIS immigration forms. As with all USCIS petitions, the person who submits the petition is called the petitioner and the relative on whose behalf the petition is made is called the beneficiary. The USCIS officer who evaluates the petition is called the adjudicator.
Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) is a special way for minors currently in the United States to adjust status to that of Lawful Permanent Resident despite unauthorized entry or unlawful presence in the United States, that might usually make them inadmissible to the United States and create bars to Adjustment of Status. The key criterion for SIJS is abuse, neglect, or abandonment by one or both parents.
Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker is a form submitted to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) by a prospective employer to petition an alien to work in the US on a permanent basis. This is done in the case when the worker is deemed extraordinary in some sense or when qualified workers do not exist in the US. The employer who files is called the petitioner, and the alien employee is called the beneficiary; these two can coincide in the case of a self-petitioner. The form is 6 pages long with a separate 10-page instructions document as of 2016. It is one of the USCIS immigration forms.
Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) is a program managed by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a branch of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). SAVE facilitates lookups on the immigration and nationality status of individuals in the United States. It is an intergovernmental initiative designed to help federal, state, tribal, and local government agencies, or by a contractor acting on the agency's behalf, to determine eligibility for benefits, licenses or grants, government credentials, or to conduct background investigations. It is one of two programs that uses the Verification Information System (VIS). The other program is the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program, also known as E-Verify, and is used by employers to verify the immigration status of employees. For additional verification, SAVE relies on the Person Centric Query System (PCQS).
The Immigration Examinations Fee Account (IEFA) is an account in the Treasury of the United States into which all revenues collected from fees for immigration and naturalization are deposited, and that is used to fund the costs associated with providing the immigration and naturalization benefits. The account funds most of the operations of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the sub-agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that is tasked with most of the associated work.
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Department of Homeland Security .