USCIS to Resume In-Person Services at Field Offices in a Limited Capacity

Beginning June 4, 2020, certain USCIS field offices and asylum offices resumed non-emergency face-to-face services to the public.  USCIS has enacted precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in reopened facilities.  USCIS field offices will send notices to applicants and petitioners with previously scheduled appointments that were cancelled due to COVID.  So far, we are seeing appointments re-scheduled for naturalization (citizenship) applications, swearing-in ceremonies and marriage-based green card applications only.  Those attending appointments must follow the safety guidelines.

We have not heard of USCIS resuming appointments for employment-based green card applications at this time.  Though there was no formal announcement, USCIS seems to have reverted to its pre-October 2017 practice of waiving interviews for employment-based cases and approving them via mail.

Application support centers, which include biometric appointments, will resume services later. 

Please note that USCIS locations are not accepting walk-in visits at this time. You must have a scheduled appointment with USCIS before arriving at a USCIS office.  USCIS is continuing to only schedule local InfoMod appointments for issues where there is an emergent need. USCIS has since updated its “USCIS Response to COVID-19” page to reflect the following:

If you need help with emergency document services (such as ADIT stamps or advance parole), we are working to schedule those appointments as soon as possible. You may experience slightly extended wait times as we gradually and safely resume in-person services. If you need to schedule an emergency document service, you may reach out to the USCIS Contact Center to make an appointment.

 “Emergent need” does not include Adjustment of Status interviews, biometrics appointments, or Naturalization interviews. A handful of Embassies are starting to schedule appointments in July and August but expect significant delays for the remainder of 2020.

Iandoli Desai & Cronin P.C. will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as to any specific guidance for issues that will currently qualify for a local office appointment.