Victoria Porto (left), Supervisory Adjudications Officer for the Field Operations Directorate, and OTC’s Team Lead, and Mariela Melero (right), CSPED Associate Director, provided updates and answered participants’ questions during the Public Engagement Division’s last enlace Publico for 2012



Approximately 650 individuals joined through teleconference, more than 137 emails were received, and another 660 joined through live Web stream. The ongoing success of this multilingual public engagement series demonstrates the importance of providing our customers and stakeholders with alternative forms of engagements in their own languages. Look for the 2013 schedule of Enlace Publicos on our website in the coming weeks.

Born and raised in Kathmandu, Nepal, SGT Saral K. Shrestha knew he wanted a military career from the time he was a small boy. Watching shows about the military on television, he dreamed of life as a soldier. As a young man, Shrestha's mother urged him to pursue higher education in the United States. At age 17, he applied for a visa and left his home to study in a new land.

"It was a culture shock, it's always rush, rush, rush," Shrestha said about his first time being in the United States. "You're working or studying the whole time. There were a lot of tall buildings, a lot of new things. Everything is surprising, so you stop being surprised."

After spending his first month with an uncle in Philadelphia, Shrestha headed to Nebraska to begin his studies in computer networking. Still, he dreamed of joining the military and embarking on a life of service and discipline, but it seemed impossible.

"MAVNI Was a Blessing"   

Though Shrestha wished to serve in the U.S. military, he initially had no avenue to join without U.S. citizenship or permanent residence. That changed in 2009 when the Department of Defense introduced the Military Accessions Vital to the National Interest (MAVNI) program. MAVNI allows visa holders with special, highly needed skills - such as having expertise in languages that are critical to military operations - to enlist in the military and earn U.S. citizenship through their service.

Shrestha was close to completing his degree when he found out about the program, but he didn't hesitate to sign-up. After being screened by USCIS and completing the recruitment process, he headed to Fort Benning for basic training in September 2009.

"MAVNI was a blessing," Shrestha said. "When I graduated my basic training, I had one of the USCIS personnel come onto the field with a United States flag and I took my oath." Shrestha considers it the most special day of his life. "I realized I was part of something way bigger," he said.

From Special Forces to Afghanistan to Soldier of the Year

While training as a specialized Power Generation Equipment Repairer at Fort Lee, Va., a recruiter with the 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) approached Shrestha, who was then a private. The recruiter knew about his ability to speak Urdu, a language common in Afghanistan and spoken in Pakistan. "He talked me into it, got me excited and motivated," Shrestha said.

In 2011, Shrestha was deployed to Afghanistan and traveled all around the country, including to some of the most remote forward operating bases. He used his language skills to communicate with Afghani locals and Afghani friendly forces working with the U.S. Army. Shrestha worked long hours to keep the U.S. bases supplied with power and fuel, but still found time late-night to complete his college degree.

When Shrestha returned to the U.S., life turned to "garrison mode." This meant staying prepared, sharp, and in-shape. Shrestha also saw the opportunity to take part in competitions for "best soldier." "I tried my best and became my company's top soldier," he said. "The competitions have steps, and it gets tougher as you move up a level. You move from brigade level, to sub-command, to Special Operations Command, to the Army-wide competition."

Shrestha won at the local levels of the competition, and went on to compete against other soldiers at the command level of the competition.


He then competed in the final round, the Best Warrior Competition, which he described as a five-day "Super Bowl for the Army."

The Best Warrior Competition included events such as the Army Physical Fitness Test, day land navigation, urban night land navigation and shooting. A selection board, headed by the Sergeant Major of the Army, judged the competitors. Shrestha said this invoked pride. The winner was announced at the Association of the United States Army's military convention in Washington, D.C.

When he heard his name called as U.S. Army Soldier of the Year, Shrestha said he was shocked. "I didn't know how to react, it was a big moment," he said.


Looking back at his journey from Nepal to the United States and his service to his new country, Shrestha stresses that his accomplishments would not have been possible without support from family, friends, trainers and comrades.


He remembers how his family would call him from Nepal and remind him that he was in their prayers. "A lot of people help you, it's never just about you," he said. Shrestha said that he tries to always live and serve by his motto: "Mission first, soldiers always."

Labels: Citizenship, Military

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