The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has recently launched a new online form for individuals, attorneys, and accredited representatives to request an in-person appointment at their local field office without having to call the USCIS Contact Center. This is a welcome change for many applicants, many of whom have been waiting to receive decisions on their immigration applications.

What types of appointments may I schedule online?

This online appointment request form allows individuals or legal representatives to request an in-person appointment at a field office only, for the following:

1. ADIT Stamp: The Alien Documentation Identification and Telecommunication (ADIT) stamp (also known as an I- 551 stamp) provides temporary evidence of lawful permanent resident status that may be issued to Legal Permanent Resident (LPRs) in limited circumstances. It authorizes the holder to work in the United States and be re-admitted to the United States following travel outside of the country. The ADIT stamp is stamped on the individual's unexpired passport or the Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record when the applicant is unable to obtain a passport or if the passport is expired.

2. Emergency Advance Parole: Field offices sometimes receive emergency requests for issuance of an advance parole document. Whether or not to grant a request for emergency advance parole document depends on if the travel need is considered emergent. “Emergent” means “arising unexpectedly,” while “emergency” means “calling for prompt action.” If you are experiencing an extremely urgent situation, you may request an emergency advance parole appointment at your local field office.

3. Immigration Judge Grant: When an applicant is granted permanent residence or asylum by an Immigration Judge (IJ) during immigration court proceedings or by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), USCIS is responsible for producing the applicants Permanent Resident Card (PRC) or providing proof of status. Typically, the applicant is required to go into the local field office to initiate card production or obtain evidence of status. Please ensure you are in possession of your copy of the Final Order, as well as photo identification and passport to your appointment.

4. Afghan Special Immigrant CPR Status: This is for Afghan nationals who were admitted into the United States as a conditional lawful permanent resident, CQ1, CQ2, or CQ3, and ou are required to complete an immigration medical examination within 30 days of admission to remove conditions on your permanent resident status.

5. American Indians Born in Canada (Section 289): This appointment type is for an American Indian born in Canada, who is present in the United States and wishes to reside permanently in the United States. You will need to request a record of admission for permanent residence (Permanent Resident Card) at a local USCIS field office.

6. Certified Copies of Naturalization Certificate: This appointment type is to request certified copy of a naturalization certificate, if a foreign government requires a naturalization or citizenship certificate to be certified in order to accept it as evidence of citizenship in the U.S. Applicants must appear at a local field office to have the naturalization certificate certified. The request may also be made by a family member requesting a certified true copy for a deceased United States citizen.

7. Deferred Action: Deferred action is a discretionary determination to defer removal action of an individual as an act of prosecutorial discretion.

8. T, U, and VAWA Inquiries: T, U, and VAWA case recipients have additional privacy protections in place related to their case filings.

9. I-94 Cuban Paroles and Re-Paroles: This appointment type is for Cuban nationals who entered the U.S. prior to January 12, 2017, to request to be paroled, or reparoled, into the United States. Parole requests are granted for a two-year period.

10. Lost Immigration Visa Packets: This appointment type is for individuals who were admitted into the U.S. as an immigrant and three months have elapsed since you paid the immigrant fee, there is a possibility your visa packet was lost in transit from CBP to USCIS.

11. MyUSCIS Account Locked: This is for individuals who have forgotten their MyUSCIS Account password and there is no means to retrieve the password reset email sent either through self-service or via the help desk.

I have been waiting for my interview to be scheduled. May I schedule my own interview?

No. This online system is not a self-scheduling tool and individuals cannot schedule their own appointments with USCIS. The USCIS Contact Center will review submitted forms and the availability of in-person appointments at a specific field office. Individuals may request a specific date and time for an in-person appointment, but USCIS cannot guarantee that the requested appointment date will be scheduled. USCIS will confirm and schedule the individual for an available in-person appointment date and time.

What do I need to bring to my appointment?

This would depend on the particular case. You should receive specific instructions in your confirmation email received from USCIS. Generally, if you are not in possession of a valid passport, you should bring two passport-style photos to your appointment.

If you were issued an extension notice after filing, and you are in possession of your expired Legal Permanent Resident card, please show these two documents as your valid proof of status when requested. If you are not in possession of your expired Legal Permanent Resident card, your extension notice is no longer valid, please make an appointment to obtain proof of status.

If you are requesting Emergency Advance Parole, you are expected to bring:

• A completed and signed Form I-131, Application for Travel Document

• Valid Passport;

• The correct I-131 filing fee (use the fee calculator tool to determine the correct amount);

• Evidence to support the emergency request (e.g., death certificate, medical documentation); and

• Two passport-style photos.

If you are an asylee whose status was granted by an immigration judge, you should bring your copy of the Final Order, as well as photo identification and passport to your appointment. Depending on your case, you may be required to bring two passport-style photos to your appointment.

This is a fairly new development, so we don’t know yet how this will be applied in practice.  Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Tumblr, for up-to-date immigration news and to keep updated.

Torregoza Legal PLLC is the law firm for immigrants, by immigrants. We are founded on the motto of LegalEase: we do away with the legal jargon and make law easy to understand, so you can focus on what’s important to you – going for your American Dream.
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