List of government agencies commonly encountered in immigration:
Organizational Structures:
Disclaimer: *Listing of the above legal services or specific areas of practice does not constitute
or imply a representation of certification of specialization unless otherwise noted.
This website is an advertisement and all information contained within is for general use only.
Nothing presented should be construed as legal advice. No person should rely upon or apply
the contents of this website for any specific situation. Copying, distributing, disseminating, or
any other action constituting reliance upon or application of any part of this website is
prohibited.
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
- U.S. Department of State (National Visa Center / U.S. Consulates)
- U.S. Department of Labor
- U.S. Department of Justice (Immigration Court, EOIR)
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Organizational Structures:
- Department of Homeland Security
- USCIS - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services functions under the
Department of Homeland Security and may be best described as the entity
where people affirmatively apply for various immigration benefits. - CBP - Customs and Border Protection is tasked with securing our borders.
This involves enforcing U.S. laws and regulations concerning what and whom
can come into our country. - ICE - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is another law enforcement
agency under the Department of Homeland Security. ICE performs a variety
of tasks from Detention and Removal to worksite enforcement. The overall
mission of ICE is too broad in scope for this brief description. - There are other components of the Department of Homeland Security that are
not often encountered in the routine immigration context. [e.g. FEMA, TSA, U.
S. Coast Guard...]
- U.S. Department of State
- It would not be beneficial in the immigration context to explore the complete
organizational structure of this diverse agency. It is better to note, that overall
the issuance of visas is the principle immigration purview of this agency. The
Department of State through it's respective U.S. Consulates located
throughout the world serve as the gatekeeper to entry into the U.S. from
abroad by foreigners. - The two most common components of the Department of State encounter in
the immigration context is the National Visa Center and the individual U.S.
consulate abroad.
- U.S. Department of Labor
- The Department of Labor is again an agency that is so vast in scope, it is
better to peel down to the component normally encountered in the
immigration context. - Under the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) component of the
Department of Labor you will find the Office of Foreign Labor Certification.
This is the overall agency employers will deal with first when attempting to
bring foreign workers into the United States in job positions that require labor
certification.
- U.S. Department of Justice
- Various agencies within the Department of Justice can be encountered within a
given immigration context (e.g. FBI, U.S. Marshalls...), but more notably the
individual Immigration Court and the Board of Immigration Appeals.
Disclaimer: *Listing of the above legal services or specific areas of practice does not constitute
or imply a representation of certification of specialization unless otherwise noted.
This website is an advertisement and all information contained within is for general use only.
Nothing presented should be construed as legal advice. No person should rely upon or apply
the contents of this website for any specific situation. Copying, distributing, disseminating, or
any other action constituting reliance upon or application of any part of this website is
prohibited.
HELPFUL IMMIGRATION INFORMATION
Helping immigrants
one process at a
time.
one process at a
time.
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| 176 Thompson Lane, Suite 201, Nashville, TN 37211 / P.O. Box 561, Hendersonville, TN 37077-0561 (615) 833-7891; (615) 833-7360; (615) 833-7361; (615) 833-6233; Fax# (615) 833-7892 |
| Immigration Law Offices of Rafael A. Velez |