WASHINGTON, D.C – Effective today, March 18, 2020, the USCIS will close all USCIS Field Offices to the public, due to the worsening situation with the spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The USCIS announced today, that it is temporarily suspending all in-person services at its field offices, asylum offices and Application Support Centers (ASCs) effective immediately, with the exception of some emergency services.
Applicants and Petitioners with scheduled appointments for biometrics, infopass, naturalization/residency/asylum interviews, swearing-in ceremonies and others, will receive cancellation notices in the mail. USCIS field offices will later automatically send out reschedule notices once the offices reopen. The announcement indicates the closures will continue until at least April 1st, however, in reality, the USCIS may not reopen offices for several months.
What USCIS Field Office Closings Mean For You:
If you have a scheduled appointment, including those for biometrics, do not go to the local USCIS Field Office. Your appointment has been automatically cancelled. Understand that it could take a few more months for your appointment to be rescheduled and your immigration status will not be affected in any way and you will not be penalized for failing to attend the appointment. However, due to the cancellations, there will be delays in processing and for those whose biometrics appointments have been cancelled, processing of work and travel permits will likely be delayed.
Status of National Benefits Center And Regional Service Centers:
To Date, USCIS has not announced closures of regional processing Service Centers, including the National Benefits Center. As a result, immigration cases are still being accepted for processing. However, under the present circumstances, they may close soon as well, so you would be well advised to file your immigration petitions as soon as possible!
Contact USCIS:
For questions about your pending case, contact the USCIS at 1 (800) 375-5283 or go online to the USCIS.gov website. For any other questions about the USCIS Field Office closures or other immigration issues, you may call our offices at: 954-382-5378.
