Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services - Definition and Overview
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is a part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Most of the functions it performs were formerly in the jurisdiction of the Immigration and Naturalization Service which was part of the Department of Justice. The Executive Office for Immigration Review and the Board of Immigration Appeals which review decisions made by USCIS remain under jursidiction of the Justice Department.
USCIS administers immigration services and benefits; such as adjudicating claims for asylum, issuing employment authorization documents, granting lawful permanent resident status (getting your "Green Card"), and granting citizenship.
