The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) opens Quito office on Sept 10 2024, marking a significant expansion of USCIS global operations. This strategic move aligns with the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to enhance legal immigration pathways and streamline refugee admissions from Latin America.
The Quito USCIS office, housed within the U.S. Embassy in Ecuador, aims to bolster refugee processing capacity in the Americas. This initiative supports the increased refugee admission targets outlined in the fiscal year 2024 Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions and reinforces the U.S. government’s dedication to the June 2022 Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection.
Additionally, as USCIS Opens Quito Office on Sept 10, 2024, a key focus of the new USCIS Quito office is to expedite family reunification cases. USCIS officers will conduct immigration interviews, process Form I-730 (Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition), oversee DNA sample collection for verification purposes, and implement rigorous fraud prevention measures. These efforts will significantly improve the efficiency of reuniting families separated by international borders.
“Opening the Quito Field Office expands USCIS’ international presence and expertise in a critical location and is part of our commitment to the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to facilitate safe and orderly lawful pathways and meet our humanitarian mission,” said USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou. “USCIS is dedicated to fairness, integrity, and respect for all we serve, and our presence in Ecuador is part of an effort to expand USCIS’ footprint outside the United States to more effectively support that mission.”
The new USCIS Ecuador office will collaborate closely with the U.S. embassy and local partners to support the Oficinas de Movilidad Segura (Safe Mobility Offices). These offices play a crucial role in facilitating expedited refugee processing and offering guidance on various legal immigration options to the United States and other countries.
The USCIS opens Quito Office on Sept 10, 2024, making the Quito office, Ecuador become the 12th USCIS international location, joining a network that includes offices in major cities across Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas, that is, Ankara, Turkey; Beijing, China; Doha, Qatar; Guangzhou, China; Guatemala City, Guatemala; Havana, Cuba; Mexico City, Mexico; Nairobi, Kenya; New Delhi, India; San Salvador, El Salvador; and Tegucigalpa, Honduras.The expansion significantly enhances USCIS’s ability to process immigration applications and provide essential services to individuals seeking refuge or reunification with family members in the United States..
Services at the Quito Field Office will be available by appointment only, and USCIS will update its International Immigration Offices webpage with information about the new office, its services, and appointment procedures.
FAQs
Q1: What are the main priorities of the new USCIS field office in Quito, Ecuador?
The main priorities of the Quito Field Office are:
- Increasing refugee processing capacity from the Americas region, in line with the increased refugee admission targets set in the fiscal year 2024 Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions.
- Facilitating family reunification efforts by processing Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition, overseeing DNA sample collection, and performing fraud detection activities.
- Collaborating with the U.S. embassy and regional partners to support the Oficinas de Movilidad Segura (Safe Mobility Offices) in Ecuador, which facilitate expedited refugee processing and provide information on other lawful migration pathways.
Q2: How does the new Quito Field Office fit into USCIS’s broader international presence?
The Quito Field Office will be the 12th USCIS international field office, joining existing offices in Ankara, Turkey; Beijing, China; Doha, Qatar; Guangzhou, China; Guatemala City, Guatemala; Havana, Cuba; Mexico City, Mexico; Nairobi, Kenya; New Delhi, India; San Salvador, El Salvador; and Tegucigalpa, Honduras. This expansion of USCIS’s international footprint is part of the agency’s commitment to the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to facilitate safe and orderly lawful migration pathways and meet its humanitarian mission.
Q3: What services will be available at the Quito Field Office, and how can individuals access them?
Services at the Quito Field Office will be available by appointment only. USCIS will update its International Immigration Offices webpage to include information about the new field office, the services it will provide, and the appointment procedures. The services will include interviewing and processing Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition, fingerprinting beneficiaries of certain USCIS applications, overseeing the collection of DNA samples, and performing essential fraud detection activities.
Q4: How does the opening of the Quito Field Office support the U.S. government’s broader efforts on migration and refugee issues?
A4: The opening of the Quito Field Office is part of the U.S. government’s commitment to the June 2022 Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, which outlines regional efforts to facilitate safe and orderly migration. Specifically, the new field office will support the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program by increasing processing capacity from the Americas region, in line with the increased refugee admission targets set in the fiscal year 2024 Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions. Additionally, the field office will collaborate with the U.S. embassy and regional partners to support the Oficinas de Movilidad Segura (Safe Mobility Offices) in Ecuador, which aim to facilitate expedited refugee processing and provide information on other lawful migration pathways.
