Be sure to check out this post on The White House Blog detailing our recent launch of Entrepreneur Pathways, an online resource center for immigrant entrepreneurs that assists them in the immigration process as they start and grow businesses in the United States.

Above: The Hostetler Family

Labels: Adoption, Compás

November is National Adoption Month. During this month, USCIS strives to raise awareness about the adoption of children, both within the United States and abroad, and celebrates the citizenship of hundreds of children in special ceremonies across the nation. The Beacon will feature three separate blog posts this month to share the unique stories of children and families who have bonded through intercountry adoption. This week we feature Gerald and Amanda Hostetler who adopted their daughter, Naomi, from China.

Adoption has changed the world as we know it. We never imagined what saying "yes" to adoption would mean to us as a family. In 2006 when we traveled to China to bring home our first daughter, Naomi through adoption, our minds were full of uncertainty. Would adoption truly be a positive impact on our family? Would we be able to love her "the same" as we loved our biological children? Would we remember this time as the critical decision that created more "risk" than our family could handle?

Looking back, we remember those worries, but we shake our heads at how ridiculous those concerns were. It could be said that opening our minds and hearts to adoption was the best decision we ever made. Through adoption our family has grown in compassion, in joy, and in unity. Our biological children are the most enthusiastic ambassadors for adoption you could ever find! We have discovered the secret that love does not divide, it multiplies. We know now that family is not defined by blood, but by love and commitment. Inside every child is a soul that their families love and cherish. Our life overflows with blessing. When we look at any one of our now six adopted children (one girl and five boys), it takes our breath away to consider what our life would be like without them. We have never regretted this path. We consider ourselves the most blessed people we know!


It should be said that there are many who have helped us along our journey to adopt our children. Trusted "midwives of adoption" who have held our hands, encouraged us, answered countless questions, and navigated the course. One such essential person is USCIS Officer Cynthia Jones. Over our last four Hague adoptions, Officer Jones has been a source of constant professional responsiveness. I know there is a commonly held belief that working with government agencies can be frustrating and that civil servants can be cold and dispassionate. This has never been true of Officer Jones. We are thankful that the Hague Unit of USCIS remembers that this is a very human journey where anxious parents cannot wait to be united with their children, many of whom are in need.

USCIS seems to understand that every day matters in the adoption journey and that every day of waiting is painful. Officer Jones always remembers it should always be “people before paper.” We are forever grateful for Officer Jones’ service to our family!

Labels: Adoption

Posted by Alejandro Mayorkas, Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Today, at an event focused on the nexus between immigration and entrepreneurship hosted by the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship in Cambridge, Mass., I was pleased to unveil Entrepreneur Pathways - an online resource center that provides entrepreneurs who seek to start a business in the United States an intuitive way to navigate the immigration process. 

Entrepreneur Pathways is a signature accomplishment of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' (USCIS's) Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIR) initiative, which has focused on realizing our current immigration system’s full potential to attract and retain startup enterprises that promote innovation and spur job creation in America.

The EIR initiative began earlier this year focused on assessing current polices, practices and training across a range of existing nonimmigrant visa categories used by entrepreneurs. It has already made a lasting impact across USCIS.  Through a comprehensive training course on startup enterprises and the landscape for early-stage innovations developed and delivered by the EIR team, our agency is better equipped with the tools to adjudicate petitions presented by entrepreneurs.

Recently, the EIR team embarked on a new challenge, expanding its focus to existing immigrant visa pathways that may enable foreign entrepreneurs to start a business and pursue a path to permanent residency in the United States.  This new emphasis will bring training to an additional portion of USCIS’s workforce, and supplement the team’s continued work on the development of policies and practices relevant to the entrepreneurial community. 

Given the success of the first phase of the EIR effort, which has led to unique improvements in our programs and enabled us to better serve foreign entrepreneurs, I look forward to seeing what the EIR team can accomplish in the months ahead.

Labels: Director's Posts

Noviembre es el Mes Nacional de la Adopción. Durante este mes, USCIS hace lo posible para elevar la concienciación acerca de la adopción, tanto en los Estados Unidos como en el extranjero, y celebra la ciudadanía de cientos de niños en ceremonias especiales a través de la nación. Compás compartirá en tres diferentes blogs la historia de niños y familias que se han unido gracias a la adopción entre países. Esta semana les presentamos la historia de Ryan y Jessica Hooker, quienes adoptaron a su hijo, Daniel, en Guatemala.

Esta semana les presentamos la historia de Ryan y Jessica Hooker, quienes adoptaron a su hijo Daniel, en Guatemala.

Nuestro viaje de adopción a Guatemala dio inicio en mayo de 2007. Fue en esa fecha que conocimos y nos enamoramos de nuestro hijo, Daniel, que tenía 18 meses en ese momento. Aunque nos tomó cinco años traer a nuestro hijo a casa, nuestros corazones se desbordan de alegría y agradecimiento.

El 7 de septiembre de 2012, mi esposo y yo entramos a la Embajada de los Estados Unidos en la Cuidad de Guatemala con nuestro hijo Daniel. Estábamos emocionados, pero también un tanto nerviosos. La cita en la Embajada de EE.UU. era el paso final en nuestro proceso de adopción y esperamos ansiosamente que la visa de Daniel fuera aprobada.

En muchos aspectos nos encontrábamos ajenos a qué esperar y cómo prepararnos. En nuestras mentes, sabíamos que todo estaría bien, pero en nuestro corazón lo único que queríamos era que nuestro hijo viniera a casa con nosotros. Después de que los documentos pertinentes fueron presentados, tarifas pagadas y las preguntas contestadas, afortunadamente salimos con la visa de Daniel en mano. En el vestíbulo de la embajada, nuestro niño se convirtió oficialmente en nuestro hijo y no volvimos a mirar atrás.
Su bienvenida a casa al día siguiente en el McGhee Tyson Airport, en Knoxville, Tennessee, no se compara con ninguna que haya visto. A las 11 PM fuimos recibidos por amigos, familiares y algunos fotógrafos de la prensa local. Nuestro viaje a casa había terminado, pero nuestro camino como familia recién comenzaba.



Sin la ayuda y arduo trabajo de la gente de la Embajada de EE.UU. y de USCIS, nuestra adopción no hubiese sido posible. Al entrar en noviembre, Mes Nacional de la Adopción, agradecemos la ayuda de personas, que cambiaron nuestra vida para siempre.

Gracias, Kristen Smith, Karla Brown, Kelley Miller, Diana Amézquita, Miriam Moreno, Leslie Krueger, Senadora Mary Landrieu y Ellen Eiseman. Estas maravillosas mujeres y muchas otras son las manos y pies que ayudaron a mover nuestro caso. Estamos profundamente agradecidos y esperamos que esta foto les demuestre cuánto.

Labels: Compás

November is National Adoption Month. During this month, USCIS strives to raise awareness about the adoption of children, both within the United States and abroad, and celebrates the citizenship of hundreds of children in special ceremonies across the nation. The Beacon will feature three separate blog posts this month to share the unique stories of children and families who have bonded through intercountry adoption.

This week we feature Ryan and Jessica Hooker who adopted their son, Daniel, from Guatemala.

Our Guatemalan adoption journey is one that began in May 2007. It was then that we met and fell in love with our son Daniel, who was 18 months old at the time. Though it took over five years to bring Daniel home, our hearts overflow with joy and thankfulness. On Friday, Sept. 7, 2012, my husband and I walked into the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala City with our son Daniel. We were excited but also a bit anxious. Meeting with the U.S. Embassy was the final step in our adoption process and we anxiously awaited their approval and Daniel’s visa.

In many ways, we had no idea what to expect or how to prepare. In our heads we knew everything would be fine, but in our hearts we just wanted our son to come home. After the proper paperwork was filed, fees were paid, and questions were answered, I can happily say we left with Daniel’s visa in hand. In the lobby of the embassy, our son became officially ours and we haven’t looked back. His homecoming the next day at McGhee Tyson Airport, in Knoxville, Tenn., was like no other. At 11 p.m. we were welcomed home by friends, family, and a few local press photographers. Our journey home was over, but our journey as a family was just beginning.


Without the help and hard work of people at the U.S. Embassy and USCIS, our adoption would not be complete. As we enter November and “National Adoption Month”, we would like to thank the following people who helped changed the life of our family forever.

Thank you: Kristen Smith, Karla Brown, Kelley Miller, Diana Amézquita, Miriam Moreno, Leslie Krueger, Senator Mary Landrieu, and Ellen Eiseman. These ladies and countless others are the hands and feet that helped process and move our case along. We are so grateful and hope these photos will express our thanks.

Labels: Adoption

This past Friday, 30 new citizens were naturalized during a very special ceremony held live on the "Today Show" at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City.


On hand to speak and present the new Americans with Certificates of Naturalization were USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas and DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano.



The ceremony, held in conjunction with the week of Veterans Day, honored those who serve, and featured Lee Greenwood singing "God Bless the USA" after the Oath of Allegiance.

Labels: Citizenship, Military

Noviembre es el Mes Nacional de la Adopción. Durante este mes, USCIS hace lo posible para elevar la concienciación acerca de la adopción, tanto en los Estados Unidos como en el extranjero, y celebra la ciudadanía de cientos de niños en ceremonias especiales a través de la nación. Compás compartirá en tres diferentes blogs la historia de niños y familias que se han unido gracias a la adopción entre países. Esta semana le presentamos la historia de Robin y Mike Shahan, quienes adoptaron a su hijo, Fred, en Haití.

El primer titular de noticias que apareció en mi computadora fue “Temblor de 7.0 grados sacude a Haití: se espera considerable número de pérdidas de vidas”. Esa oración permanecerá grabada en mí por el resto de mi vida.

Nuestra familia siempre sentirá luto por las vidas perdidas durante aquel horrible día en Haití. Pero también damos gracias porque la vida de nuestro hijo le fue perdonada. Cuando nuestro hijo Fred entró a los estados Unidos, estaba a sólo una semana de su primer cumpleaños. Era pequeño; sólo pesaba 13 libras y estaba desnutrido, enfermo con guardia, parásitos y otro número de enfermedades. Después del terremoto, Freddy y otros niños de su orfanato habían sobrevivido por seis días a la intemperie con un mínimo de agua y alimentos. Fe un milagro que aún estuviese vivo. El gobierno de los Estados Unidos salvó su vida al permitirle entrar al país con un permiso humanitario. Les damos las gracias a ustedes en USCIS; la Oficina de Reasentamiento de Refugiados y el director de la Oficina Local en la Embajada de Port-au-Prince y los desprendidos cuidadores de su orfanato, entre muchos otros compasivos individuos.




Fred ha cambiado mucho desde su primer cumpleaños y está creciendo rápidamente. A pesar de la enorme cantidad de retos que ha superado, Freddy se ha desarrollado hasta convertirse en un niñito alegre, atlético, inteligente, compasivo y amoroso, que está próximo a cumplir los cuatro años. Desde que se unió a nuestra familia, Fred también se ha convertido en el hermano mayor de una hermanita llamada Riley. Él es un hermano mayor maravilloso y ambos son inseparables. Es muy difícil creer cuánto hemos avanzado desde aquel fatídico día en enero de 2010. Nos sentimos más que bendecidos de tener a nuestro hijo Fred para siempre en nuestra familia.

Labels: Compás

USCIS strives to raise awareness about the adoption of children, both within the United States and abroad, and, this November, celebrates the citizenship of hundreds of children in special ceremonies across the nation. The Beacon will feature three separate blog posts this month to share the unique stories of children and families who have bonded through intercountry adoption.

This week we feature Robin and Mike Shahan who adopted their son, Fred, from Haiti.

The first news headline that came up on my computer was: “7.0 quake hits Haiti; 'Serious loss of life' expected." That line will stay with me for the rest of my life.

Our family mourns the lives lost during that horrible day in Haiti. We also give thanks that our young son's life was spared. When our son Fred entered the United States, he was just a week away from his first birthday. He was tiny, only 13 pounds, malnourished, and sick with giardia, ringworm, and a number of other illnesses. After the earthquake Freddy had lived outside with minimal food and water for nearly six days with other children from his orphanage. It was a miracle he was still alive. By allowing him to enter our country with humanitarian parole, the United States government saved his life. We thank USCIS; the Office of Refugee Resettlement; and the field office director for the USCIS field office at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince; the selfless caregivers at his orphanage; among countless other compassionate individuals.


Fred has come a long way since his first birthday, and is growing in leaps and bounds. Despite the myriad of challenges he has had to overcome in his young life, Freddy has developed into a funny, athletic, smart, caring, and loving little boy who is quickly approaching his fourth birthday. Since joining our family, Fred has also become an older brother to a little sister named Riley. He is a wonderful big brother and the two are inseparable. It is hard to believe how far we have come since that fateful day in January 2010. We feel beyond blessed to have our son Fred in our family forever.

Labels: Adoption

El viernes, 16 de noviembre, USCIS dará la bienvenida a 30 nuevos ciudadanos durante una Ceremonia Especial de Naturalización que será televisada en vivo en el programa matutino ”Today Show” de la cadena NBC a las 8:30 AM hora del este.

La Secretaria del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional, Janet Napolitano y el Director del Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración, Alejandro Mayorkas encabezarán la ceremonia que se llevará a cabo en el Rockefeller Plaza de la Ciudad de Nueva York. Les acompañarán Tracy Renaud, la Directora Regional de la Región Noreste de USCIS y Michael Borgen, Director en funciones de USCIS del Distrito de Nueva York.

Información adicional acerca del proceso de naturalización, incluyendo información sobre elegibilidad, materiales de estudio y proveedores de servicios están disponibles en el sitio Web www.uscis.gov/ciudadanía.

Labels: Compás

On Friday, Nov. 16, USCIS will welcome 30 new citizens during a special naturalization ceremony televised live on the Today Show at 8:30 a.m. EST.  Secretary Janet Napolitano and Director Alejandro Mayorkas will facilitate the ceremony in Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. They will be joined by Tracy Renaud, USCIS Northeast Regional Director and Michael Borgen, Acting New York District Director.

Additional information about the naturalization process, including eligibility information, study materials, and service providers, is available on the USCIS website.

Labels: Citizenship