What does INS mean in IMMIGRATION

The Immigration Naturalization Service (INS) is a government agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that oversees legal immigration into the United States. Its primary responsibilities are to administer federal laws pertaining to immigrants, including naturalization, adjustment of status, and issuance and enforcement of documents necessary for immigration processes.

INS provides several services related to immigration and naturalization, including petitions and applications for permanent residency (green card), temporary nonimmigrant visas, family-based immigration processes such as K visas and fiancés/fiancées, employment-based visas such as H-1B visas, visa renewals, applications for citizenship or naturalization and Visa Waiver Program entry.

You can submit an application for a green card by submitting Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. This form must be completed and submitted together with supporting documents such as evidence of lawful entry in the United States, criminal background check results and financial documentation showing you can support yourself financially while living in the U.S.

The process typically takes anywhere from five months to two years or more depending on your specific circumstances such as which category you are applying under (family-based vs employment-based), whether you are applying from within or outside the United States etc. Once your application is approved, you will receive an official Permanent Resident Card (green card) in the mail within 3 weeks.

U.S Citizenship can be obtained either through birth or through naturalization after residing legally in the United States for 5 years as a Permanent Resident (with some exceptions). To start the naturalization process you must submit Form N-400 Application for Naturalization along with required supporting documents such évidence of residence in US etc.

It is important that you keep track of your visa expiration date and take steps to renew before it expires otherwise it may have an adverse effect on your immigrant status in United States. If your visa has expired then you should contact an experienced immigration attorney immediately who can advise about possible renewal options available for you or any other potential solutions depending upon your individual circumstances.

Depending upon what type of application you submitted and if you meet certain eligibility requirements then in some cases yes - it may be possible to obtain work authorization while waiting for your application with INS to be adjudicated however each case is different so we recommend consulting with an experienced immigration attorney who can help review your specific situation carefully before making any decisions regarding obtaining work authorization.

Yes – foreign nationals entering United States using immigrant visas must present valid passports with valid immigrant visas at port-of-entry along with Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record issued by US Customs & Border Protection whenever they enter their respective destination country.

Yes – in certain circumstances premium processing may allow faster processing time; applicants must submit additional fee along with their petition accompanied by Premium Processing Service form G-1145 E Notification USA USCIS which should be included along with their filed petition.