Foreign citizens wishing to immigrate and live permanently in the U.S. must comply with U.S. visa immigration laws, and specific procedures to apply for visas.
At DHS, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is responsible for immigration matters, including naturalization. Naturalization is the process by which U.S. citizenship is granted to a foreign citizen or national after he or she fulfills the requirements established by Congress in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
There are special situations where the law provides for foreign citizens to move to the United States. This includes the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), which is an inter-agency effort, the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State to increase the number of Iraqi refugees admitted to the United States.
In addition, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a temporary immigration benefit that allows qualified individuals from designated countries (or parts of those countries) who are in the United States to stay here for a limited time period. A TPS country designation may be based on on-going armed conflict, environmental disaster, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions in the country.