CLOSURES OF USCIS OFFICES

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Due to the public closure mandates due to the COVID-19 crisis, USCIS announced that they will be suspending all in person appointments at their field offices. As of the publishing of this article, this is set to last until May 4, at which point they will reopen their field offices unless mandatory public closures continue.

This announcement comes as a shock to most because it leads to so many questions such as “What now?”. Luckily, we’re here to help sort through some of the confusion. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

USCIS will still hold limited emergency appointments, which can be made through service requests at https://www.uscis.gov/contactcenter
USCIS field offices have suspended all interviews, naturalization ceremonies, and fingerprint appointments. If you had an appointment scheduled during this time, then you should have received email notification from USCIS that your appointment has been cancelled. Once field offices reopen, USCIS will reschedule all appointments that were cancelled due to the suspension. Don’t forget to frequently check your emails and mail to make sure you don’t miss any important notices!
USCIS is waiving the need for biometrics appointments for applications to renew work authorization cards. Therefore, if you filed for a renewal I-765 they will be granting them using prior biometrics.
Although in-person services will not be available, USCIS will STILL be processing applications. With that being said, if you have applications that you intend to file you should still file them so as to not further delay the processing of your case.
Premium processing has been suspended for all cases beginning March 20, 2020 until further notice. You can apply for premium processing for petitions already filed once the option becomes available.

For more information on USCIS closures due to coronavirus visit: USCIS Response to Coronavirus webpage

Our office will continue to provide you with frequent updates on on Szew Law Group’s Blog Posts as they develop. Our office is still open so please feel free to contact us if you have any questions. We are in this together, stay safe!