History

• U.S. federal immigration and naturalization history can be traced back to 1891 with the Treasury Department's creation of the Office of Superintendent of Immigration. In 1895, it became the broader Bureau of Immigration. By 1933, after several changes in title, the Immigration and Naturalization Service was created to regulate immigration. In 2003, the INS was abolished by the Homeland Security Act and the creation of the USCIS, ICE and CBP.
  
  

Function

• Within the Department of Homeland Security, various departments perform functions similar to that of the defunct Immigration and Naturalization Service. The USCIS covers all aspects of citizenship, immigration, working in the United States, humanitarian programs, adoptions and civic integration. Other departments such as the ICE and CBP are mainly charged with preventing illegal entry into the United States and protecting citizens from the any threat of terrorism.
  
  

Citizenship

• The USCIS covers all applications for American citizenship, including citizenship through descent, citizenship through naturalization and allocation of green cards, as well as conducting the naturalization test that covers the English language, U.S. history and government function.
  
  

Green Cards

• A permanent resident is a person who has been granted permission to work and live in the United States on a permanent basis. New immigrants, as proof of their status, are issued a permanent resident card, also known as a "green card." According to the USCIS, a person is eligible for a green card through family, a job offer and refugee or asylum status.
  
  

Statistics

• In 2009, the Office of Immigration Statistics counted 743,715 new immigrants to the United States. The figure is a decline from an all-time record 1,046,539 set in 2008 due to applications being received in advance of a fee increase and efforts to encourage eligible immigrants to naturalize. Until the 1970s, most immigration to the United States was from European countries, today however most new Americans are of Asian decent, with 276,375 arriving in 2009. Almost a third of new immigrants (179,754) in 2009 settled in California.