On March 1st, 2003 the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was transformed into the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) as part of the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Since January 24, 2003 Tom Ridge is the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, who's primary task is to protect the United States against terrorist attacks. President Bush appointed Eduardo Aguirre as Acting Director of the new Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services. Although most of you are familiar with what an immigration bureau does, here a recap of the main functions of the BCIS:

• processing of immigrant visa petitions;
• processing of naturalization petitions;
• processing of asylum and refugee applications;
• judicial decisions performed at the service centers, and
• all other judicial decisions performed by the INS.

Eduardo Aguirre is currently also vice chairman, first president and chief operating office of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-IM Bank). Aguirre is an accomplished businessman with experience in international banking and civic functions. He has received the highest honors for promoting trade between the US and the Dominican Republic. His 24-year-long career with Bank of America has won him accolades in Hispanic business magazines and in books. The list of his accomplishments goes on; for a more elaborate curriculum vitae, go to the BCIS page. We wish him luck and success with this new, difficult and intense job!

The new bureau consists of approximately 15,000 federal employees and contractors who work in 250 local and field offices in the US and around the world. While core functions such as family-based petitions, employment-based petitions, naturalization, asylum and refugee processing and others remain the same, a new goal is to process applications more effectively, or in other words, faster. A way to achieve this goal is the provision of customer service through different channels, including the National Customer Service Center (NCSC) with information in English and Spanish, Application Support Centers, the Internet and other channels. For a full list of the various help centers with phone numbers and other pertinent information, click here.

We hope the new Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services succeeds in its goals, for it is in the interest of all, customers and employees, if applications are processed accurately and in a timely manner. It will prevent frustration, disappointment, and on a grander scale, maybe even disaster.

Peter

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