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Privacy

The DHS Privacy Office is responsible for evaluating the Department programs, systems, and initiatives for potential privacy impacts, and providing strategies to reduce the privacy impact.

  • Immigration Benefits Background Check Systems (IBBCS)

    As part of its benefits adjudication process and as required by law, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) conducts background checks on petitioners and applicants who seek certain immigration benefits. These background checks consist of four separate checks against systems within Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In order to facilitate the collection and transmission of information necessary to complete background check processes, USCIS maintains five information technology electronic systems: the Fingerprint Masthead Notification System (FMNS), the Customer Identity Capture System (CICS), the FD-258 Tracking System - Mainframe (FD-258 MF), the Benefits Biometrics Support System (BBSS), and the Interagency Border Inspection System (IBIS) Manifest. USCIS is conducting this privacy impact assessment (PIA) because FMNS, CICS, FD-258 MF, BBSS, and IBIS Manifest collect, use, and share personally identifiable information (PII). This PIA replaces the previously published USCIS PIA for the “Background Check Service (BCS)” which describes planned background check-related systems that were never implemented. Upon publication of this PIA, the BCS PIA will be retired.

  • DHS/USCIS/PIA-034 H-1B Visa Cap Registration

    In January 2019, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) amended the regulations governing H-1B cap-subject petitions and introduced an electronic registration requirement for petitioners seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions. This Final Rule required employers seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions, including those who may be eligible for the advanced degree exemption based on the attainment of a bachelor’s or higher academic degree in the specialty field, to first electronically register with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) during a designated registration period. The final rule also reversed the order by which USCIS selects petitions under the H-1B regular cap and the advanced degree exemption. While the cap allocation amendment within the rulemaking went into effect and applied to Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 cap allocations, the electronic registration requirement is now being implemented starting with the FY 2021 cap allocations in March 2020.

  • Migrant Information Tracking System (MITS)

    DHS/USCIS/PIA-035 Migrant Information Tracking System (MITS)

  • DHS/USCIS/PIA 036 b Form I 9 Employment Eligibility Verification Update

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

  • FOIA/PA Information Processing System (FIPS)

    U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), operates the Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act (FOIA/PA) Information Processing System (FIPS) to process Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act requests from any person or entity requesting access to USCIS records. FIPS is being decommissioned and a new system is being designed and developed, named the FOIA Immigration Records System (FIRST), which will ultimately replace FIPS. USCIS is releasing a public-facing portal of FIRST for requesters who choose to receive records electronically, enabling the viewing and downloading of responsive FOIA/PA records.

  • DHS/USCIS/PIA 040 Center Adjudication System Electronic Processing

    DHS/USCIS/PIA-040 Center Adjudication System Electronic Processing

  • DHS/USCIS/PIA-049 Refugee Access Verification Unit

    USCIS uses the Enterprise Collaboration Network to manage the Refugee Access Verification Unit (RAVU) records. The purpose of RAVU is to track and manage the review of Affidavits of Relationship (AOR) filed by immediate family members (herein referred to as anchor relatives) in the United States on behalf of overseas family members who seek consideration for refugee resettlement under the Priority 3 Family Reunification Program. USCIS is conducting this Privacy Impact Assessment because RAVU collects, uses, and maintains personally identifiable information.

  • System Electronic Registration Approval (SERA)

    DHS/USCIS/PIA-058 System Electronic Registration Approval (SERA)

  • DHS/USCIS/PIA-059 Known Employer Document Library

    DHS/USCIS/PIA-059 Known Employer Document Library

  • DHS/USCIS/PIA-060 Customer Profile Management Service (CPMS)

    This Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) update is to document the planned implementation of the DHS Office of Biometric Identity Management (OBIM) algorithm for biometric face verification (hereinafter referred to as “face verification” or “1:1” matching) for Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization (hereafter, Form I-765), during adjudication to ensure that the photo submitted by the individual matches a previously taken photo of the individual stored within OBIM’s Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT).