USCIS Closes Field Offices to the Public Through at Least April 1, 2020

Effective March 18, 2020, all U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) field offices are temporarily closed to the public. USCIS has suspended all routine in-person services at its field offices, asylum offices, and Application Support Centers (ASCs) to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. The suspension is expected to be in place through at least April 1, 2020.

Key Details

The following is a summary of the key details about the closures:

• USCIS field offices will send notices to applicants and petitioners with scheduled appointments and naturalization ceremonies who will be impacted by the closures.
• USCIS will provide emergency services in limited circumstances.
• USCIS has suspended all biometrics appointments. USCIS will automatically reschedule appointments once the ASCs resume normal operations. Individuals who do not receive new appointment notices by mail within 90 days can contact the agency at 800-375-5283.
• InfoPass appointments must be rescheduled through the USCIS Contact Center once field offices are open to the public.
• USCIS staff will continue to perform duties that do not involve contact with the public.
• USCIS field offices are separate and distinct from USCIS service centers, where a variety of petitions and applications are processed. As of now, the service centers have not reported any closures or disruptions in service.

Ogletree Deakins’ Immigration Practice Group will continue to monitor developments with respect to the policy changes and will post updates on the Immigration blog and the firm’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resource Center as additional information becomes available. Critical information for employers is also available via the firm’s webinar programs.