United States Citizenship and Immigration Services

History

The USCIS 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).

Expansion of enforcement authority

In September 2025, the Department of Homeland Security expanded U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' law enforcement authority by creating a class of special agent officers who have more militarized freedom to investigate, arrest, and bring to prosecution migrants they believe violate U.S. immigration laws.

Screening requirements

In 2025, a policy alert was given for new guidelines that would be enforced immediately for USCIS: immigrant candidates would be assessed for views considered anti-American or antisemitic. The policy was criticized on the grounds that its vagueness could discourage people from applying out of fear of violating the policy.

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.

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's predecessor, the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service), which is defunct as of March 1, 2003.

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).

Directors

|- 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.

Immigration courts and judges

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.)

Operations

Internet presence

USCIS's official website was redesigned in 2009 and unveiled on September 22, 2009. 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.

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.

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 outside of the U.S., 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).

The Immigration and Nationality Act authorizes USCIS to collect fees for its immigration case adjudication and naturalization services.

In fiscal year 2020, USCIS had a budget of ; of it was funded by fees and by congressional appropriations.

Staffing

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

Offices

A field USCIS office provides interviews for all non-asylum cases; naturalization ceremonies; appointments for information; and applicant services.

USCIS Asylum offices schedule interviews only for asylum and suspension of deportation and special rule cancellation of removal under the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA).

Asylum offices do not provide information services. Applications are not filed at asylum offices.

International offices provide services to U.S. citizens, permanent U.S. residents, and certain other people who are visiting or residing outside the U.S. International offices are in the following cities

References

References

1. "Budget-in-Brief: Fiscal Year 2022". U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
2. (4 September 2025). "USCIS to Add Special Agents with New Law Enforcement Authorities {{!}} USCIS". U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
3. (August 8, 2025). "Trump administration to vet immigrants for 'anti-American' views".
4. (2021-05-25). "Chapter 3 - Continuous Residence {{!}} USCIS".
5. (2020-01-09). "Chapter 3 - Spouses of U.S. Citizens Residing in the United States {{!}} USCIS".
6. [[Immigration and Naturalization Service]]
7. (Nov 27, 2007). "The Citizenship Surge".
8. (September 22, 2009). "Secretary Napolitano and USCIS Director Mayorkas Launch Redesigned USCIS Website". [[United States Department of Homeland Security]].
9. (13 April 2018). "Meet Emma, Our Virtual Assistant | USCIS".
10. "E-Request".
11. Khatri, Prakash. (11 January 2007). "Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman's 2007 Annual Report". [[United States Department of Homeland Security]].
12. (January 2009). "Federal User Fees: Additional Analyses and Timely Reviews Could Improve Immigration and Naturalization User Fee Design and USCIS Operations". [[United States Government Accountability Office]].
13. (February 12, 2020). "Department of Homeland Security United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Budget Overview: Fiscal Year 2021 Congressional Justification". [[United States Department of Homeland Security]].
14. (28 January 2020). "About Us".
15. [https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/find-a-uscis-office/field-offices Field Offices]
16. [https://egov.uscis.gov/office-locator/#/asy Asylum Office Locator]
17. (2024-12-10). "International Immigration Offices {{!}} USCIS".