What is U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS)?

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is the agency within the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that administers the naturalization and immigration system. When the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was dissolved by the Homeland Security Act of 2002, three agencies within DHS replaced its duties: USCIS, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). USCIS is responsible for processing and adjudicating various immigration matters, including applications for work visas, asylum, and citizenship.