United States Citizenship and Immigration Services: Difference between revisions

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
	USCIS Logo
Agency overview
Formed	March 1, 2003; 21 years ago
Jurisdiction	Federal government of the United States
Headquarters	5900 Capital Gateway Drive; Camp Springs, MD, U.S.
Employees	21,253 (2021)
Annual budget	$4.235 billion (2021)
Agency executive	Ur Jaddou, Director;
Parent agency	United States Department of Homeland Security
Key documents	USCIS Policy Manual; Adjudicator's Field Manual;
Website	www.uscis.gov

Browse history interactively

← Previous edit Next edit →

Content deleted Content added

VisualWikitext

Inline

Revision as of 02:55, 18 October 2022

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.

Functions

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:

Administration of immigration services and benefits
Issuing employment authorization documents (EAD)
Adjudicating petitions for non-immigrant temporary workers (H-1B, O-1, etc.)

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. 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.

Forms

USCIS handles all forms and processing materials related to immigration and naturalization. This is evident from USCIS' predecessor, the INS, (Immigration and Naturalization Service) which is defunct as of March 1, 2003.^[4]^{[circular reference]}

USCIS currently handles two kinds of forms: those relating to immigration, and those related to naturalization. Forms are designated by a specific name, and an alphanumeric sequence consisting of one 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).

List of directors of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

No.	Director	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	President
1	Aguirre, EduardoEduardo Aguirre (born 1946)	August 15, 2003	June 16, 2005	1 year, 305 days	Republican	Bush, GeorgeGeorge W. Bush (R)
-	Petrucelli, MichaelMichael Petrucelli Acting	June 17, 2005	July 25, 2005	38 days	?	Bush, GeorgeGeorge W. Bush (R)
2	Gonzalez, EmilioEmilio T. Gonzalez (born 1956)	December 21, 2005	April 18, 2008	2 years, 119 days	Republican	Bush, GeorgeGeorge W. Bush (R)
-	Scharfen, JonathanJonathan "Jock" Scharfen Acting	April 21, 2008	December 2, 2008	225 days	?	Bush, GeorgeGeorge W. Bush (R)
3	Mayorkas, AlejandroAlejandro Mayorkas (born 1959)	August 12, 2009	December 23, 2013	4 years, 133 days	Democratic	Obama, BarackBarack Obama (D)
-	Scialabba, LoriLori Scialabba Acting	December 23, 2013	July 9, 2014	198 days	?	Obama, BarackBarack Obama (D)
4	Winkowski, ThomasLeón Rodríguez	July 9, 2014	January 20, 2017	2 years, 195 days	Democratic	Obama, BarackBarack Obama (D)
-	Scialabba, LoriLori Scialabba Acting	January 20, 2017	March 31, 2017	70 days	?	Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (R)
-	McCament, JamesJames W. McCament Acting	March 31, 2017	October 8, 2017	191 days	?	Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (R)
5	Cissna, LeeL. Francis Cissna (born 1966)	October 8, 2017	June 1, 2019	1 year, 236 days	Independent	Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (R)
-	CuccinelliKen Cuccinelli^[1] (born 1968) Acting	June 20, 2019	November 18, 2019	151 days	Republican	Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (R)
-	Koumas, MarkMark Koumans Acting	November 18, 2019	February 20, 2020	94 days	Independent	Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (R)
-	Edlow, JosephJoseph Edlow Acting	February 20, 2020	January 20, 2021	335 days	Independent	Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (R)
-	Renaud, TraceyTracy Renaud Acting	January 20, 2021	August 3, 2021	195 days	Independent	Biden, JoeJoe Biden (D)
6	Mendoza, UrUr Mendoza Jaddou (born 1974)	August 3, 2021	Incumbent	3 years, 132 days	Independent	Biden, JoeJoe Biden (D)

¹ Ken Cuccinelli served from July 8, 2019 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.

Immigration courts and judges

The United States immigration courts and 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.)^[5]

Operations

Internet presence

USCIS' official website was redesigned in 2009 and unveiled on September 22, 2009.^[6] The last major redesign before 2009 was in October 2006. The USCIS website now includes a virtual assistant, Emma, who answers questions in English and Spanish.^[7]

Inquiry and issue resolution

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.^[8]

If the self-service tools on USCIS's website cannot help 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 currently outside of the United States, may also schedule appointments on USCIS's website

Funding

Unlike most other federal agencies, USCIS is funded almost entirely by user fees, most of it via the Immigration Examinations Fee Account (IEFA).^[9] USCIS is authorized to collect fees for its immigration case adjudication and naturalization services by the Immigration and Nationality Act.^[10] In fiscal year 2020, USCIS had a budget of US$4.85 billion; 97.3% of the budget was funded through fees and 2.7% through congressional appropriations.^[11]

Staffing

USCIS consists of approximately 19,000 federal employees and contractors working at 223 offices around the world.^[12]

Mission statement

USCIS's mission statement was changed on February 9, 2022. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Ur M. Jaddou announced the agency’s new mission statement. Last year, USCIS leadership empowered employees to submit words that they felt best illustrated the agency’s work.

The new  mission statement  is a reflection of  this  feedback  from the workforce, the priorities of the Biden Administration, and Director Jaddou’s vision for an inclusive and accessible agency.^[13]

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.”^[14]

References

This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Department of Homeland Security.

^ ^a ^b "Budget-in-Brief: Fiscal Year 2022" (PDF). U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-03-12. Retrieved 2022-03-12.
^ "Ur M. Jaddou, Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services". USCIS. August 3, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
^ "Our History". 24 August 2020.
^ Immigration and Naturalization Service
^ "The Citizenship Surge". The New York Times. Nov 27, 2007. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
^ "Secretary Napolitano and USCIS Director Mayorkas Launch Redesigned USCIS Website" (Press release). United States Department of Homeland Security. September 22, 2009. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
^ "Meet Emma, Our Virtual Assistant | USCIS". 13 April 2018.
^ "E-Request".
^ Khatri, Prakash (11 January 2007). "Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman's 2007 Annual Report" (PDF). United States Department of Homeland Security: 46–47. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
^ Federal User Fees: Additional Analyses and Timely Reviews Could Improve Immigration and Naturalization User Fee Design and USCIS Operations (PDF) (Report). United States Government Accountability Office. January 2009. p. 7. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
^ Department of Homeland Security United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Budget Overview: Fiscal Year 2021 Congressional Justification (PDF) (Report). United States Department of Homeland Security. February 12, 2020. p. 11. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 1, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
^ "About Us". 28 January 2020.
^ USCIS Announces New Agency Mission Statement-date=February 09, 2022, 9 February 2022
^ Mission and Core Valuesaccess-date=February 09, 2022, 9 February 2022

External links

Official website
Homeland Security Act of 2002
USCIS in the Federal Register
what is USCIS by Cacfti
site:www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/foia/ — Freedom of Information Act documents - USCIS

[DHSJustification-1] "Budget-in-Brief: Fiscal Year 2022" (PDF). U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-03-12. Retrieved 2022-03-12.

[2] "Ur M. Jaddou, Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services". USCIS. August 3, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021.

[3] "Our History". 24 August 2020.

[4] Immigration and Naturalization Service

[5] "The Citizenship Surge". The New York Times. Nov 27, 2007. Retrieved April 16, 2017.

[6] "Secretary Napolitano and USCIS Director Mayorkas Launch Redesigned USCIS Website" (Press release). United States Department of Homeland Security. September 22, 2009. Retrieved April 10, 2010.

[7] "Meet Emma, Our Virtual Assistant | USCIS". 13 April 2018.

[8] "E-Request".

[9] Khatri, Prakash (11 January 2007). "Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman's 2007 Annual Report" (PDF). United States Department of Homeland Security: 46–47. Retrieved 13 June 2019.

[10] Federal User Fees: Additional Analyses and Timely Reviews Could Improve Immigration and Naturalization User Fee Design and USCIS Operations (PDF) (Report). United States Government Accountability Office. January 2009. p. 7. Retrieved July 1, 2020.

[11] Department of Homeland Security United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Budget Overview: Fiscal Year 2021 Congressional Justification (PDF) (Report). United States Department of Homeland Security. February 12, 2020. p. 11. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 1, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.

[12] "About Us". 28 January 2020.

[13] USCIS Announces New Agency Mission Statement-date=February 09, 2022, 9 February 2022

[14] Mission and Core Valuesaccess-date=February 09, 2022, 9 February 2022

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

@@ Line 113: / Line 113: @@
 | officeholder_sort = Gonzalez, Emilio
 | officeholder_note =
-| born_year =
+| born_year = 1956
 | died_year =
 | term_start = December 21, 2005

v t e United States Department of Homeland Security
Headquarters: St. Elizabeths West Campus Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristie Canegallo, Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
Deputy Secretary	United States Coast Guard (Commandant) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Director) U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Customs and Border Protection Federal Emergency Management Agency Center for Domestic Preparedness National Flood Insurance Program United States Fire Administration Federal Law Enforcement Training Center United States Secret Service Office of Operations Coordination Transportation Security Administration Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (Director) Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans Office of Immigration Statistics Homeland Security Advisory Council
Science and Technology	Science and Technology Directorate Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency Explosives Division Chemical and Biological Defense Division Border and Maritime Security Division Human Factors and Behavioral Sciences Division Infrastructure Protection and Disaster Management Division Cyber Security Division (National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center) Command, Control and Interoperability Division
Intelligence and Analysis	Office of Intelligence and Analysis
Management	Management Directorate Federal Protective Service Office of Biometric Identity Management
Law enforcement in the United States Terrorism in the United States

Authority control databases
International	ISNI VIAF
National	Germany United States France BnF data
Other	NARA