Public Engagement

We host national webinars and listening sessions on a variety of topics. Summaries and links to presentations and questions and answers from recent webinars are below.

January 19, 2023
Listening Session: Immigration Concerns and Options for Laid-Off Foreign Workers

We hosted a listening session with USCIS on immigration concerns and options for laid-off foreign workers.

CIS Ombudsman staff and USCIS officials began with a brief overview of options for workers following termination of employment. We then opened the phone lines to hear from stakeholders about any immigration-related issues they are experiencing as a result of being laid off; their experience with trying to use the immigration options USCIS has presented for laid-off workers; and any ideas or questions for how USCIS could practically mitigate the immigration impacts of layoffs for foreign workers under existing immigration laws and regulations. The summary is available on the Listening Session: Immigration Concerns and Options for Laid-Off Foreign Workers teleconference summary page.

October 27, 2022
Employment-Based Immigrant Visas: Looking Back at Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 and Ahead to FY 2023 with USCIS

We hosted a joint webinar with USCIS on employment-based immigrant visa usage in FY 2022 and what to expect in FY 2023. CIS Ombudsman staff and USCIS representatives discussed the effect of cutoff date retrogression in the Visa Bulletin and concerns specific to derivative applicants. The summary is available on the Employment-Based Immigrant Visas: Looking Back at Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 and Ahead to FY 2023 with USCIS webinar summary page.

September 21, 2022
Fireside Chat

Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) Ombudsman Phyllis Coven and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Ur Jaddou sat down for an hour-long conversation to discuss challenges and accomplishments from Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 and look ahead to FY 2023. USCIS Chief of Staff Felicia Escobar-Carrillo provided opening remarks, and Deputy CIS Ombudsman Nathan Stiefel provided closing remarks. During this session, CIS Ombudsman Coven and Director Jaddou discussed how their professional backgrounds and experiences have helped them in their current roles and moved on to the current challenges facing USCIS. As the conversation progressed, they delved deeper into several topics, including challenges that may have not been visible to the public over the last year and FY 2023 goals for an effective, efficient immigration benefits system.