KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC - The United States Embassy here has moved to clear the air following the recent announcement of the decision to close is Citizenship and Immigration Services Office.

On Wednesday, the embassy sought to address concerns raised about the decision of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to shut down its Kingston field office.

A statement from the Embassy said it will not be closing and its visa and other consular operations will continue as normal.These include tourist, student, official and immigrant visa applications and American Citizen Services.

It explained that the USCIS will close on March 1.

The USCIS is a specialised government agency that oversees matters of lawful immigration to the United States.

With the closure of the Kingston Field Office, the USCIS Field Office in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic will assume Kingston's former jurisdiction.

All other departments of the U.S. Mission, including the Consular Section, Paul Robeson Information Resource Centre, United States Agency for International Development, Peace Corps offices and the U.S. Consular Agency in the western city of Montego Bay, will remain open.

The Kingston Field Office had jurisdiction over Jamaica, Anguilla, Aruba, The Bahamas, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos Islands and the Guantanamo Bay Naval Station.