Early in the year of 2003, the various services and benefit functions that were part of the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service, or the INS, were placed under the direction of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It was then renamed the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, which is also now referred to as USCIS.

The USCIS is now responsible for administering all of the functions of immigration and naturalization adjudication. As well, it is responsible for establishing the policies and priorities related to immigration services.

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Under the current immigration laws that regulate the flow of immigrants into the US, there are two categories of USA visas that are issued: the non-preference visa and the preference visa.

Those who are wanting to emigrate from their homelands and those who will benefit from either of these two types of USA visas will subsequently qualify to live and/or work in the United States.

The applications for these USA visas are subject to a strict annual quota of 675,000 only. There is a preference system in place for the issuing of these visas and there are four categories of preferences for family-sponsored immigration and five types of preferences for employment-sponsored immigration.

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