USCIS Extends Suspension of In-person Services Until at Least June 3, 2020

On Behalf of | Apr 24, 2020 | Firm News

Today, April 24, 2020, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that is again extending its temporary suspension of in-person services at USCIS offices (including USCIS field offices, asylum offices, and Application Support Centers) in the United States up to and including Wednesday, June 3, 2020. USCIS stated that it “is readying offices to reopen on or after June 4,” 2020.

This extends USCIS’s previously-announced temporary suspension of in-person services that USCIS stated would continue from March 18, 2020, at least to May 4, 2020. USCIS has stated that its decision to suspend in-person services is based on its effort to “help slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).” USCIS’s language indicates that USCIS is monitoring the status of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States and suggests that USCIS’s reopening date may be further delayed based on the state of the COVID-19 pandemic in the coming months.

USCIS’s suspension of routine in-person services means that the following interviews or appointments normally conducted at USCIS field offices or Application Support Centers will be canceled and rescheduled:

  • Immigration Interviews (I-130, I-485 (Adjustment of Status), N-400 (Naturalization), and Asylum Interviews);
  • Naturalization Ceremonies; and
  • Biometric Collection Appointments

USCIS has stated that USCIS employees in its offices “are continuing to perform mission-essential services that do not require face-to-face contact with the public while the offices are closed,” meaning that USCIS should continue process physically and electronically filed applications and petitions for immigration benefits during the temporary suspension period. USCIS has stated that it will continue to provide emergency services during this time and that emergency services can be requested via the USCIS Contact Center.

For immigration interviews, USCIS stated that it will send cancellation notices to the affected individuals and that interviews will be rescheduled when USCIS resumes normal operations.

USCIS also stated that it will automatically reschedule biometrics appointments at Application Support Centers due to the office closure, and that affected individuals will receive a new appointment letter in the mail. However, individuals with InfoPass or other appointments at a USCIS field office must proactively reschedule their appointments through the USCIS Contact Center once USCIS offices reopen to the public.

The circumstances surrounding the Coronavirus and its impact on immigration in the United States continue to develop on a daily basis. Please stay tuned for further updates.

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