United States of America
USCIS — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
USCIS is the DHS agency that adjudicates almost every immigration benefit inside the United States — including H-1B, O-1, L-1, and EB-series petitions; adjustment of status to permanent residence; naturalisation; and humanitarian applications. It was created on 1 March 2003 when the former INS was split between USCIS (benefits) and ICE/CBP (enforcement).
Parent ministry
Department of Homeland Security
Established
2003
Last reviewed
20 April 2026
Scope
- Receives and decides Form I-129 (nonimmigrant worker), I-140 (immigrant worker), I-485 (adjustment of status), I-539 (extend/change status), and the naturalisation Form N-400.
- Runs the H-1B lottery each March and manages the annual cap of 85,000 new H-1B visas (65,000 general + 20,000 US-master's).
- Operates the ELIS (USCIS Electronic Immigration System) processing system, five Service Centers, and a network of Field Offices that conduct in-person interviews and ceremonies.
- Funds itself almost entirely from applicant filing fees — so fee schedules (last updated 1 April 2024) drive the agency's operational budget and processing-time performance.
Procedural quirks
- Processing times are published per-form, per-service-center and vary wildly — from 15 business days under Premium Processing for I-129 to several years for family-based I-130s at some service centers.
- Consular visa issuance (at US embassies) is separately handled by the State Department; USCIS adjudicates the petition and the consulate then issues the visa. Both steps can fail independently.
- Policy memoranda from USCIS leadership can change adjudication standards overnight; watch the "Policy Alerts" page and AFM/USCIS Policy Manual updates for live changes.
Primary service channels
Routes administered
USCIS decides the following United States visa routes covered on Visa Atlas:
H-1B Specialty Occupation
Employer-sponsored non-immigrant visa for specialty occupations requiring a bachelor’s degree or higher.
L-1A Intracompany Transferee (Executive or Manager)
Intracompany transfer for executives or managers moving to a US office of a related multinational employer.
L-1B Intracompany Transferee (Specialised Knowledge)
Intracompany transfer for employees with specialised knowledge of the employer’s products, services, or processes.
O-1 Individuals with Extraordinary Ability or Achievement
Visa for individuals with extraordinary ability in sciences, education, business, athletics (O-1A) or the arts/film/television (O-1B).
EB-1A Extraordinary Ability (Immigrant)
Employment-based first-preference green card for individuals with extraordinary ability — self-petitionable.
EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW)
Second-preference green card with a waiver of the job offer and PERM labor certification, where the beneficiary’s work is in the US national interest.
EB-3 Skilled, Professional, and Other Workers
Third-preference employment-based green card requiring employer sponsorship and PERM labor certification.
EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program
Permanent residence through investment in a new US commercial enterprise that creates at least 10 full-time jobs.
E-2 Treaty Investor
Non-immigrant treaty investor visa for nationals of countries with a qualifying treaty of commerce and navigation with the US.
F-1 Student Visa (with OPT and STEM OPT)
Non-immigrant student visa for academic study at a SEVP-certified institution, with post-study OPT employment authorisation.
J-1 Exchange Visitor
Exchange visitor visa covering academic scholars, students, trainees, interns, researchers, au pairs, and other exchange programs.
TN USMCA Professionals (Canada & Mexico)
Non-immigrant work visa under USMCA for Canadian and Mexican citizens in listed professions.
K-1 Fiancé(e) of US Citizen
Non-immigrant visa allowing the fiancé(e) of a US citizen to enter the US to marry within 90 days and then apply for a green card.
Spouse of US Citizen or Green Card Holder (IR1/CR1 & F2A)
Permanent residence for the spouse of a US citizen (IR1/CR1) or lawful permanent resident (F2A preference).