Mission and Core Values
Mission Statement
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services administers the nation’s lawful immigration system, safeguarding its integrity and promise by efficiently and fairly adjudicating requests for immigration benefits while protecting Americans, securing the homeland, and honoring our values.
Who We Are
USCIS is the government agency that oversees lawful immigration to the United States. We are 19,000 government employees and contractors working at more than 200 offices across the world.
- See how much we accomplish on a typical day.
- Learn more about our history.
- USCIS organizational chart
- USCIS Strategic Plan 2019-2021 (PDF, 7.27 MB)
Core Values
Integrity
We will always strive for the highest level of integrity in our dealings with the public, our fellow employees, and the citizens of the United States of America. We review each case before us on its own merit and reach decisions that are based on the law and facts. We will be ever mindful of the importance of the trust the American people have placed in us to administer the nation’s immigration system fairly, honestly, and correctly.
Respect
We will demonstrate respect in all of our actions. We will ensure that everyone we affect will be treated with dignity and courtesy regardless of the outcome of their case. We will model this principle in all of our activities with each other and the public. Through our actions, USCIS will become known as an example of respect, dignity, and courtesy.
Innovation
As we meet the challenges to come, we will strive to find the most effective means to accomplish our goals. We will use innovation, resourcefulness, creativity, and sound management principles to strive for world-class results. We will approach every challenge with a balance of enthusiasm and wisdom in our effort to fulfill our vision.
Vigilance
In this era of increased global threats and security challenges, we will remain mindful of our obligation to provide immigration services in a manner that strengthens and enhances our nation’s security. We will exercise vigilance as we perform our mission. We will carefully administer every aspect of our work to uphold the security and integrity of the immigration system so that new immigrants and the public can hold in high regard the privileges and advantages of lawful presence in the United States.