Fact Sheet 

February 7, 2005

 

 

Summary: At a Glance

Senior Leadership: 

Director Eduardo Aguirre Jr. 

Established: 2003

 

Major Programs: Immigrant; 

Nonimmigrant; Citizenship; 

Asylum/Refugee; Backlog Initiative 

FY 2006 Budget Request: $1,854 mil. 

Gross Discretionary $80 mil. 

 Mandatory, s $1,774 mil.

Employees (FTE): 10,207 

At a Glance

• Description 

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services 

(USCIS) is committed to ensuring the delivery of

the right immigration benefit to the right person at 

the right time, and no benefit to the wrong person. 

USCIS has established three priorities: (1) 

eliminating the immigration benefit application 

backlog, (2) improving customer service, while (3) 

ensuring national security. The USCIS is a 

component of the Department of Homeland 

Security (DHS) that facilitates legal immigration for 

people seeking to enter, reside, or work in the 

United States. 

• Responsibilities 

USCIS possesses the authority to grant or deny immigration benefits – processing over 7 

million immigration benefit applications a year. 

• Service to the Public 

Through a network of 250 local offices, Application Support Centers, Service Centers, 

Asylum offices, National Customer Service Call (NCSC) Centers, Forms Centers, and the 

Internet, USCIS is responsible for processing benefits which range from work authorization 

documents, to asylum and refugee applications, to petitions for immediate relatives to

immigrate to the United States. 

- more - 

 
FY 2006 Budget ($M)

FY 2005 FY 2006 +/- Change 

(enacted) (proposed)

Immigrant Services $797 $878 +$81 

Nonimmigrant Services $412 $463 +$51 

Citizenship Services $247 $271 +$24 

Asylum/Refugee Services $139 $142 +$3 

Backlog Initiative $180 $100 -$80 

Total $1,775 $1,854 +$79

Includes both appropriated and fee-funded resources. 

FY 2005 Accomplishments in Progress: 

• Eliminating the backlog – USCIS is on target to achieve the President’s six-month or 

less processing time goal at each USCIS office by the end of FY 2006, having 

successfully reduced the backlog at the end of FY 2005 to 1.5 million cases, down from a 

high of 3.8 million cases in January 2004. . 

• Improving customer service: 

• USCIS continues to implement significant IT and process improvements, 

including electronic filing for certain immigration benefit applications (e-filing). 

Since it was launched in May 2003, more than 253,000 immigration benefit 

applications have been filed on-line. 

• InfoPass, a USCIS Web-based system that enables the public to go online to 

schedule appointments, has dramatically reduced/eliminated the lines of

customers seeking assistance at our local offices. 

• Additional customer services were added to the USCIS website, including a 

feature for customers to register for automated e-mail updates as their case is 

processed, and customer access to case status information was further expanded 

through the agency’s expansion of filings at U.S. Treasury Department lockboxes. 

• Automated services available to customers by phone were also expanded. Now 

more than 50% of all callers receive the information or service they are looking 

for without requiring live assistance, giving these customers round-the-clock 

access. 

• Ensuring national security – 

• The creation of a Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS) unit is allowing 

USCIS to work closely with the appropriate law enforcement entities in 

responding to national security hits on aliens who pose a threat to national 

security or public safety, and for identifying systemic fraud in the application 

process. 
• FDNS has developed a joint anti-fraud strategy with Immigration and Customs 

Enforcement (ICE), hired and trained nearly 100 anti-fraud officers, and is in the 

midst of implementing an unprecedented anti-fraud initiative throughout the 

United States. 

• FDNS is also leading the enhancement of USCIS' background check process, 

which is aimed at identifying applicants, beneficiaries, and petitioners who pose a 

threat to national security and public safety prior to granting them immigration 

benefits. 

• FDNS is also leading USCIS' information sharing initiative with key law 

enforcement and intelligence agencies. 

FY 2006 Enhancements: 

• Projected Fee Revenues ......................................................................$ 159,000 155 FTE 

The $159 million in additional fee revenues and 155 FTE’s reflects: 1) $100 million due to 

the granting of Temporary Protected Status to certain designated countries, 2) $31 million 

per new legislative proposals to increase the Temporary Protected Status fee ($20 million)

and expansion of the premium processing program beyond employment-based applications 

and petitions ($11 million and 40 FTE’s), 3) annualization of 115 FTE’s per the L-1 Visa 

Reform Act of 2004, and 4) $28 million in pay and non-pay adjustments from projected fee 

increases. 

– USCIS – 

On March 1, 2003, U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services became one of three legacy INS components to join the U.S. Department of 

Homeland Security. USCIS is charged with fundamentally transforming and improving the delivery of immigration and citizenship services, 

while enhancing our nation's security.