United States Citizenship and Immigration Services has provided information on its website describing its response to the COVID-19 health emergency. You can visit the site by clicking here. Below is a summary of the response USCIS has taken to the crisis.
- USCIS Field Offices, asylum offices, and application support centers are closed until April 7, 2020. Any scheduled appointments, including biometrics, interviews, or other in-person services impacted by the closure will be rescheduled when normal operations resume.
- USCIS sometimes sends Requests of Evidence (RFE) or Notices of Intent to Deny (NOID) to applicants that require a set date for a response. Those applicants who have received an RFE or NOID that are dated between March 1, 2020, and May 1, 2020, will be given an extra 60 days to respond after the response date set by the RFE or NOID.
- Applicants who have filed an extension of their employment authorization document who had appointments scheduled after March 18, 2020, will have their applications processed with USCIS using their previously submitted biometrics information. This process will resume until USCIS resumes normal processing procedures.
- For appealable decisions that the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) has jurisdiction that is dated between March 1, 2020, and May 1, 2020, appellants will have 60 days to file their I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion.
Requests to Reschedule Appointments
USCIS has requested that if you have become ill for any reason, regardless of any exposure you may have had to COVID-19, that you do not come to their offices for an appointment. If you need to reschedule an INFOPass appointment, call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283. If you need to reschedule for any other reason, follow the instructions on your notice and it will be rescheduled without penalty.
USCIS is continuing to receive petitions and they are continuing to adjudicate cases. If you or a family member need immigration advice during this COVID-19 crisis, our attorney is happy to speak with you about your options.