[20150219]IN10233_移民局资金和对国会的责任.pdf

CRS InsightsUSCIS Funding and Accountability to CongressWilliam A. Kandel, Analyst in Immigration Policy (wkandelcrs.loc.gov, 7-4703)February 19, 2015 (IN10233)The Presidents executive actions of November 20, 2014, included, among other provisions, severalinitiatives that if implemented may require petitions whose cost would be paid through user fees. Theprocessing for those applications would be handled by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services(USCIS), an agency within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The executive actions highlightthe challenges facing Congress if it wishes to exert control over the budget or activities of a federalagency funded through user fees that are statutorily established as mandatory appropriations.USCIS handles many immigration administration functions, the most prominent of which is processingand adjudicating immigrant petitions and applications. Each year, the agency processes roughly 6million petitions, typically for a fee. Two examples are the petition for a nonimmigrant worker ($325)and the application for lawful permanent resident (LPR) status ($985).USCIS and its predecessor, the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), ha