United States Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced that certain domestic offices will reopen and resume non-emergency public services starting June 4th, 2022. This will allow petitioners and their beneficiaries to access certain routine services in person, including those who have long awaited previously scheduled appointments and interviews.

Since March 18th, 2020, USCIS field offices, asylum offices, and application support centers have been closed for routine in-person services in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Now with the slowing rates of the virus, the USCIS will finally begin returning to the office while adhering to CDC guidelines.

The agency has warned that at least in the beginning, offices will serve a reduced number of appointments and interviews in order to allow for social distancing, reduced occupancy, and more extensive cleaning.

For those with certain existing appointments that were canceled because of closures, appointments will automatically be rescheduled. Applicants and petitioners will receive notices concerning their appointments which will include safety guidelines to follow.

For those with other types of appointments, they will need to schedule a new appointment through the USCIS Contact Center after field offices become open to the public. However, before attempting to schedule an appointment, it is possible to check USCIS’s office closure page to determine if a particular office will be reopening.

For those with an appointment at an Application Support Center that was canceled because of closures, they will be receiving a new appointment letter in the mail that will include certain safety rules to follow during the appointment. USCIS warns that it will be important to arrive at the listed date and time of the new appointment to avoid a significant delay in processing.

USCIS Facility Guidelines

Visitors must adhere to the following guidelines:

• Visitors should not enter a facility if they have had a cough, fever, or breathing difficulty in the past 14 days or have been advised by a medical provider or public health official to quarantine or self-isolate within the past 14 days.
• Visitors should not arrive greater than 15 minutes before their appointment, with the exception of naturalization ceremonies.
• Visitors should bring their own blue or black pens.
• Visitors should wear a face-covering that covers both their nose and mouth when entering a facility.

Interested in automating your employment eligibility verification? Ensure compliance today with I-9 Compliance.

Sources