Behind-the-Scenes Tour of Immigration Customer Service Operations

February 21, 2007, Washington, D.C.
Contact: Washington Foreign Press Center Program Officer Wendy Lyle
Telephone: 202-504-6362; Email: lylewp@state.gov

In a special tour organized by the Foreign Press Center and USCIS, foreign TV and print journalists representing China, Mexico, Russia and Spain received a behind-the-scenes tour of the Immigration Customer Service Operations.  Journalists had the opportunity to see document application and interview procedures, do standup reporting and conduct on-the-record interviews with USCIS officials on such hot issues as the naturalization exam, USCIS as a fee-based agency, and the recent USCIS proposal to raise the fees for immigration and naturalization benefits applications and petitions.  The journalists also interviewed applicants from their respective countries.