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Citizenship and Immigration Services

Managed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the United States’ lawful immigration system is one of the most generous in the world.

  • Enterprise Citizenship and Immigrations Services Centralized Operational Repository (eCISCOR)

    U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) uses the Enterprise Citizenship and Immigrations Services Centralized Operation Repository (eCISCOR) to streamline access to relevant information necessary to administrate the Immigration and Nationality Act. eCISCOR is a repository that consolidates information collected during the adjudication of applications and petitions for immigration benefits. USCIS updated and reissued this privacy impact assessment (PIA) to clarify eCISCOR’s functionalities, and to discuss all source systems and interconnected systems to eCISCOR. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) uses the Enterprise Citizenship and Immigration Services Centralized Operational Repository (eCISCOR) to streamline access to relevant data necessary to administer the Immigration and Nationality Act and to accomplish mission support-related tasks. Historically, eCISCOR has been used as a data repository that primarily consolidates data collected during the adjudication of applications and petitions for immigration benefits. In 2015, USCIS issued DHS/USCIS/PIA-023(a) eCISCOR to update eCISCOR’s functionalities and add appendices to include all source and interconnected systems.

  • DHS/USCIS/PIA-013 Fraud Detection and National Security Data System (FDNS-DS)

    U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) created the Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate (FDNS) to strengthen the integrity of the nation’s immigration system, and to ensure that immigration benefits are not granted to individuals that may pose a threat to national security and/or public safety. In addition, FDNS is responsible for detecting, deterring, and combating immigration benefit fraud.  USCIS is updating and reissuing this Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA), originally published on July 30, 2012 as DHS/USCIS/PIA-013(a), to include FDNS’s sharing with law enforcement agencies, and include the DHS/USCIS/ICE/CBP-001-Alien File, Index and National File Tracking System of Records, published November 21, 3013 at 78 FR 69864 as coverage for initiatives under this PIA.

  • Ombudsman J-2 Recommendation

    International medical graduates in the United States make important contributions in clinical care in underserved areas, as well as research and teaching. These recommendations, issued by the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman, seek to ensure that spouses of foreign medical doctors accepted into the Conrad State 30 program are able to obtain employment authorization. Under this program, each state may receive up to 30 physicians each year to provide medical services to rural, inner city, and other medically underserved communities. USCIS currently does not permit spouses to change to an employment-authorized nonimmigrant status, even where the dependent independently qualifies for such status.

  • DHS/USCIS/PIA-040 – Center Adjudication System Electronic Processing (CasePro)

    U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) developed this Center Adjudication System Electronic Processing (CasePro) system to assist with the adjudication of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Deferred Enforced Departure (DED), and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) filings. CasePro electronically organizes and reviews incoming filings, identifies approvable cases, automates the adjudication of some cases which meet filing requirements, and routes filings requiring additional review to the manual resolution process. USCIS conducted this Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) to describe how CasePro collects, uses, and maintains Personally Identifiable Information (PII).

  • DHS/USCIS/PIA-040 – Center Adjudication System Electronic Processing (CasePro) Appendix A

    DHS/USCIS/PIA-040 – Center Adjudication System Electronic Processing (CasePro) Appendix A

  • 2013 AR Exec. Report Chinese

    Read the Chinese translation of the executive summary to the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman's 2013 Annual Report to Congress.

  • Informe Anual 2013

    Read the Spanish version of the 2013 Annual Report to Congress.

  • DHS/USCIS/PIA 003 Integrated Digitization Document Management Program

    U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is re-publishing the previously published Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) for the Integrated Digitization Document Management Program (IDDMP). IDDMP is the process of digitizing paper-based case files (A-Files and Receipt Files) and storing them in the Enterprise Document Management System (EDMS).  EDMS enables the A-File to be shared more efficiently within DHS and with external agencies. USCIS is updating and reissuing this PIA to discuss in greater detail the IDDMP process in which information is ingested into EDMS.

  • DHS/USCIS/PIA-048 USCIS International Biometric Processing Services

    Many countries now require biometric data from individuals filing applications for immigration related benefits. Several countries have partnered with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to collect the requisite biometrics and limited biographical information on behalf of their immigration services. On behalf of the country, USCIS collects biometric and biographic information at its 138 Application Support Centers and deletes the records immediately after it receives confirmation that the partner country has received the information. USCIS previously published DHS/USCIS/PIA-048, USCIS International Visa Project, to address USCIS collection of biometric and biographic information on behalf of other countries for international visa processing.

  • DHS/USCIS/PIA-036(b) - Form I-9 “Employment Eligibility Verification” Update

    U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Verification Division manages the business process in support of the statutory requirement that employers maintain Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, which is completed by their new employees. This form serves to verify employment authorization for all new employees. The purpose of this update is to: (1) describe the collection of additional information in “Section I: Employee Information and Attestation” of Form I-9; and (2) describe the update to Form I-9 instructions.