In-Person Services Suspended Until At Least May 3
In response to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) developments, as of April 1, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated its office closures suspending routine in-person services until May 3rd.
What does this mean for cases in progress?
USCIS will reschedule appointments for applicants with permanent resident (green card) interviews, naturalization interviews and naturalization ceremonies when local offices resume in-person services.
Applicants requiring biometrics to be completed through Application Support Centers (ASC) will have their appointments rescheduled automatically, rescheduling notices will be sent by mail.
Final decisions in some cases may be delayed for applications that require in-person interviews or the completion of biometrics. While this includes Form I-485 applications for adjustment of status, employment based I-485 applicants have reported receiving approvals of their applications the week of March 28th even though their interviews were cancelled due to COVID-19 USCIS office closures.
Form I-539 applications to change or extend nonimmigrant status (H-4, L-2, etc. for dependent spouse and children), as well as the Form I-765 employment authorization applications for new requests may also be impacted.
USCIS will utilize existing biometrics for Applicants who filed or will file the Form I-765 to extend employment authorization on or after the March 18th when USCIS closures went into effect. This will remain in effect until ASCs are open for appointments to the public.
What is not impacted by this notice?
As of the date of this posting, operations at USCIS Service Centers where most immigration benefit petitions are adjudicated are not impacted by these changes.
USCIS Premium Processing Suspension
As of March 20, 2020, USCIS will not be accepting premium processing request for any filings.
Seyfarth Shaw is closely monitoring ongoing developments impacting USCIS, DOL and DOS operations as COVID-19 developments continue.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
