Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

Effective June 4, 2012, please see new information below concerning I-601 filing.

On March 1, 2003, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was abolished and its functions placed under three agencies:  U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Customs and Border Protection (CPB).  These agencies are three components within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and were created per the Homeland Security Act of 2002.  

The U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) is the government agency that oversees lawful immigration to the United States.  This bureau is headed by Alejandro Mayorkas, who was sworn in as USCIS Director on August 12, 2009.  Mr. Mayorkas became the third director of the world's largest immigration service.

The USCIS mission is to secure America's promise as a nation of immigrants by providing accurate and useful information to the customers, granting immigration and citizenship benefits, promoting an awareness and understanding of citizenship, and ensuring the integrity of the immigration system.  There are around 250 offices across the world achieving USCIS goals.

The USCIS Field Office in Port-au-Prince, Haiti is a sub-office that falls under the jurisdiction of the USCIS District Office in Mexico City, Mexico.  This field office is headed by Hichem Kefi, Field Office Director.  USCIS Port-au Prince ensures the USCIS mission through the following functions:

1. Form I-130, Adjudication of Immigrant Family Based Petitions:  "Petition for Alien Relative" (only US citizens residing in Haiti are eligible to file form I-130);
2. Form I-360 "Petition for Amerasian, Widower or Special Immigrant";
3. Form I-600/I-600A, Adjudication of orphan petitions: a) "Application For Advance Processing of Orphan Petition (only adoptive parents residing in Haiti are eligible to file form I-600A); b) Form I-600 "Petition to classify Orphan as Immediate Relative";  
4. Form, I-730, Adjudication of travel eligibility:  "Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition" approved stateside for derivatives of asylum applicants; 
5. Boarding letters:  Verification of eligibility and issuance of travel letters for cases of lost/stolen/expired/mutilated legal permanent residence cards;
6. Returning resident applications:  Cases of legal permanent resident out of status;
7. Verification of departure:  For aliens who were ordered to depart the United States;
8. I-407, Abandonment of Legal Permanent Resident Status:  for legal permanent residents who want to relinquish their legal status;
9. Form I-601, Adjudication of Immigrant Visa Waivers for applicants who are found inadmissible to enter the U.S.  If you are outside of the United States and otherwise approved to immigrate to the United States, but a Department of State Consular Officer found you ineligible to enter because of one or more grounds of inadmissibility for which a waiver may be available, you may apply for a waiver by filing Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility.

• Beginning June 4, 2012, you must mail your waiver application and supporting evidence directly to the USCIS Lockbox facility specified in the form instructions.
• If you have an appointment to submit your application before July 4, 2012:
  • You may keep your appointment.
  OR
  • You may cancel your appointment and mail your application to the USCIS Lockbox facility specified in the form instructions.
• If you submitted your application before July 4, 2012, and:
  • Our office received it between June 4 and July 3, 2012, we will process it.
  • Our office received it on or after July 4, 2012, we will return it to you. Please mail your application directly to the USCIS Lockbox facility specified in the form instructions.
• You may find the address for the appropriate USCIS Lockbox facility in the form instructions or see, Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility, and I-212, Application for Permission to Reapply for Admission into the United States After Deportation or Removal.

For additional information, please visit the USCIS website or the Port-au-Prince Field Office website.