USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services)

In plain terms: USCIS, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, is the federal agency, part of the Department of Homeland Security, that decides immigration petitions and applications filed inside the U.S., including the employer’s I-140 petition.

In an EB-3 case, USCIS handles the Form I-140 petition (including premium processing and Requests for Evidence) and, for workers already in the U.S., the Form I-485 green card application, work permits (EAD) and advance parole. For each filing, USCIS issues a receipt notice with a case number that can be used to check the case status online.

What it means for you: USCIS is the agency the employer deals with after the PERM is certified. It’s where the employer shows its ability to pay the offered wage.