In order to facilitate the follow-up of applications, the Office of Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) launched an online form for immigrants, their lawyers or their accredited representatives to request an appointment in person at the local office.
“This online appointment request form allows individuals or legal representatives to request an appointment in person, at a field office only, for ADIT stamps, emergency advance parole, immigration judge grants and more (processes)” the agency reported.
Despite the new step, USCIS cautions that the appointment request does not mean it will be approved immediately, but it will serve as an alert to officials to follow up.
“It is not a self-scheduling (appointment) tool. The USCIS Contact Center will review submitted forms and the availability of in-person appointments at a specific field office,” the agency said in a statement.
Interested persons can request a specific date and time for an in-person appointment, but it will be the immigration office that will determine the feasibility.
“USCIS will confirm and schedule the person for an available in-person appointment date and time,” the office said.
This new step by the agency headed by Ur Jaddou is part of President Joe Biden’s Executive Order on improving immigration procedures.
“The online appointment request form is expected to improve the customer experience by collecting the required information in advance and potentially scheduling the requested appointment,” USCIS said.
It was also anticipated that the Contact Center could communicate – by phone or email – with the person who made the request to follow up on the request.
