The USCIS Is Set To Open New International Field Offices In Qatar And Turkey

The USCIS will open its Doha, Qatar, field office on May 7, 2024, and its Ankara, Turkey, field office on May 9, 2024. Both field offices will be “Refugee Processing Hubs,” with Refugee Coordinators from the State Department’s Office of Population, Refugees and Migration, Resettlement Support Centers, and other inter-agency partners.

Why the new field offices?

These offices will enhance refugee processing and strategic and inter-agency cooperation. This expands the presence and expertise of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in key Middle East locations. It is an effort to promote safe, legal, and regular migration and facilitate family reunification.

The USCIS’s presence outside the United States supports its humanitarian mission. These new field offices will bolster the integrity of the US immigration system. The refugee admission cap for 2024 is 125,000.

So, these new field offices will support the region’s Refugee Admissions Program (RAP) infrastructure and directly support long-standing and growing USCIS Refugee Processing Circuits rides.

The proposed new field office in Qatar

Qatar is an important site and regional hub for the processing of refugees. So, this new field office will be located in Qatar’s capital (Doha). The USCIS Doha field office will be at the US embassy’s Camp As Sayliyah facility. Staff will also regularly meet with the general public for scheduled meetings at the US embassy in Qatar.

To set the ball rolling, representatives of the relevant agencies and suboffices are already in Qatar.

The proposed new field office in Turkey

Turkey is also an important destination and regional hub for processing refugees. This new field office will be located in Turkey’s capital, Ankara, and the Ankara USCIS field office will be located at the US embassy in Ankara.

The things that will be done at these new field offices

At both locations, the USCIS personnel will take over the processing of Form I-730 from consular staff. They will also support certain fraud detection activities and provide other limited services. Services will only be available by appointment.

The USCIS will update its webpage with information about the new field offices, services, and appointments.

All field offices

The USCIS will have 11 field offices outside the US with these new field offices. The others are in Beijing, Guangzhou, China, Guatemala City, Havana, Mexico City, Nairobi, Kenya, New Delhi, San Salvador, El Salvador, and Tegucigalpa, Honduras.