If you are an immigrant or have family members who are, USCIS is here to help. Whether you want to get your green card, travel abroad, or naturalize as a citizen, here is what you need to know about USCIS in Kansas City.
USCIS operates two large facilities in Kansas City and one in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. They process applications for immigration benefits and prepare cases that go to more than 85 field offices nationwide to adjudicate.
I9 Forms
The Form I-9 is an immigration form that employers must complete and retain for at least three years after the employee’s first day of work. It is used to verify the identity of new employees and establish their employment authorization.
You must have Form I-9 available in both paper and electronic form to all new employees who are hired. USCIS uses this information to make sure that you comply with federal law.
You could face penalties under federal law if you do not provide the I-9 to your employees. You also must retain the Form I-9 and any attachments for at least 3 years after the employee’s employment ends.
The Form I-9 includes instructions and lists of acceptable documents. These instructions are designed to help you ensure that you have completed Form I-9 correctly and have not discriminated against an individual based on their citizenship, immigration, or national origin.
Special Provisions for the Remarkable Migrants
Over the last half century, nearly 59 million immigrants and their descendants have arrived in the United States, accounting for a 14% share of the nation’s population. This modern-era immigrant population has reshaped the nation’s racial and ethnic makeup and helped drive growth in the American economy.
The influx of newcomers began with the 1965 immigration law that replaced the country’s European-focused origin quota system. The result was a broader range of immigration from around the world.
USCIS offices in the Kansas City area handle processing applications for visas, green cards, and other immigration benefits. The agency’s National Benefits Center in Lee’s Summit and the National Records Center in Overland Park employ about 3,100 people.
In addition to the staff who handle immigration-related matters, about 750 federal employees and contractors work at the National Records Center to merge, scan, correct, and store records from around the nation. This operation is operated out of a half million square feet of functional and storage space GSA leases for the USCIS in the Kansas City area.
Asylum
Asylum, in international law, is the right of a person to claim protection from his or her country of origin if they cannot return because of persecution or fear of persecution. This includes a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.
Those fleeing violence and persecution in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Haiti, and Nicaragua are among the many people seeking asylum in the United States. Asylum has become a necessary form of protection for these individuals.
USCIS has field offices around the country, including one in Kansas City. They conduct interviews for immigration cases such as family-based visas and citizenship (naturalization) applications and provide other forms of immigration assistance.
Deportation
The federal government may deport someone in the United States without legal status for too long or have committed a crime. If you are deported, you cannot return to the United States for some time, or you may be permanently excluded from that country.
Several people have lived here for years in the Kansas City area and have deep ties to our community. They include mothers and fathers of US citizen children, tax-paying employees, and members of our communities who have long volunteered or worked with immigrants.
When ICE first accuses a non-citizen of being removable, they start removal proceedings, which typically involve an appearance before an immigration judge. It is a lengthy process that can take years to complete.