U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is a part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and performs some of the functions formerly carried out by the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service, which was part of the Department of Justice.
USCIS was created on March 1, 2003 from what was formerly the Immigration Services Division (ISD) of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), which is now abolished. The INS was widely seen as ineffective, particularly after scandals that arose after September 11, 2001. Eduardo Aguirre was appointed the first USCIS Director by President Bush.
The new agency is charged with processing immigrant visa petitions, naturalization petitions, and asylum and refugee applications, as well as making adjudicative decisions performed at the service centers, and managing all other immigration benefits functions (i.e., not immigration enforcement) performed by the former INS. Other responsibilities include:
- Administration of immigration services and benefits
- Adjudicating asylum claims
- Issuing employment authorization documents (EAD)
- Granting lawful permanent resident status (getting your "Green Card")
- Granting citizenship.
The Executive Office for Immigration Review, which includes the U.S. Immigration Courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals, and which reviews decisions made by USCIS, remains under the jursidiction of the U.S. Department of Justice.
The new bureau consists of approximately 15,000 federal employees and contractors who work in 250 local and field offices in the US and around the world.
As of April 5, 2006, Emilio T. Gonzalez, Ph.D., is the Director of USCIS.
See also
- Immigration
- Immigration to the United States
- List of United States Immigration Acts
- Naturalization
- Private bill
External links
- [U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services]
- [Emerald Isle Immigration Center] (New York)
- [List of Free Legal Service Providers] (provided by the U.S. Department of Justice)
- [Immigration Trackers for USCIS Services]
- [link] USCIS Immigration Information in English, Spanish & Chinese
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