U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced the opening of two new international field offices, one in Doha, Qatar, and the other in Ankara, Turkey. This move is part of USCIS’ efforts to improve refugee processing capacity and strengthen partnerships.
“Opening these field offices establishes a USCIS presence and expertise in critical locations in the Middle East and is part of our commitment to the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to facilitate safe, lawful, and orderly migration and family reunification,” said USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou in a statement.
Historically, USCIS operated as many as 24 overseas offices until the Trump administration closed more than half of them. However, the Biden administration has steadily been reopening them, and the two new locations will expand USCIS’ global presence to eleven locations worldwide.
These offices will support the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). Qatar and Turkey are key hubs for refugee processing, with existing infrastructure and personnel from various U.S. government agencies already in place. The USCIS offices in Doha and Ankara will provide services related to refugee processing and other immigration matters.