FAQs and Answers Regarding USCIS Updates and New Procedures
This page will provide answers many of the current and common questions regarding USCIS and its current updates regarding immigration, citizenship, residency, green cards and more. Most information has been complied from various government websites and social media posts. We have summarized many of the questions and responses for your convenience.
Contact us anytime if you have any questions or if you’d like to start a document translation for USCIS.
Yes. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced that it will reuse previously submitted biometrics in order to process valid Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, extension requests due to the temporary closure of Application Support Centers (ASC) to the public in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This announcement is consistent with existing USCIS authorities regarding the agency’s ability to reuse previously submitted biometrics. Applicants who had an appointment scheduled with an ASC on or after the March 18 closure or has filed an I-765 extension will have their application processed using previously submitted biometrics. This will remain in effect until ASCs are open for appointments to the public.
El Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de Estados Unidos (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglés), anunció hoy (30 de marzo de 2020) que reutilizará los datos biométricos tomados anteriormente para procesar las solicitudes válidas de extensión del Formulario I-765, Solicitud de Autorización de Empleo, debido al cierre temporal de los centros de asistencia en solicitudes (ASC, por sus siglas en inglés), y en respuesta a la pandemia del coronavirus (COVID-19). Este anuncio es consistente con las autoridades de USCIS vigentes respecto a la facultad de la agencia para reutilizar datos biométricos tomados anteriormente.
Permitir el Uso de Algunos Datos Biométricos A los solicitantes que tenían una cita programada con un ASC en o luego del cierre el 18 de marzo, o han presentado una solicitud de extensión del I-765, se les procesará su solicitud con los datos biométricos presentados anteriormente. Esto permanecerá en efecto hasta que los ASC estén abiertos al público para citas.
Para más Información La educación y tomar las precauciones necesarias son las herramientas más fuertes contra el contagio. Continúe la práctica de buenos hábitos de salud, evite saludar con apretones de manos y abrazos, y lávese las manos y limpie las superficies apropiadamente.
USCIS proporcionará actualizaciones adicionales a medida que se desarrolle la situación y seguirá las guías del CDC. Por favor, visite la página uscis.gov/es/coronavirus para obtener actualizaciones.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today (March 30, 2020) announced that it will reuse previously submitted biometrics in order to process valid Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, extension requests due to the temporary closure of Application Support Centers (ASC) to the public in response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This announcement is consistent with existing USCIS authorities regarding the agency’s ability to reuse previously submitted biometrics. USCIS Updates provided daily.
Allow Reuse of Some Biometrics. Applicants who had an appointment scheduled with an ASC on or after the March 18 closure or who filed an I-765 extension will have their application processed using previously submitted biometrics. This will remain in effect until ASCs resume normal operations.
For More Information. Education and precautions are the strongest tools against infection. Continue to practice good health habits, refrain from handshakes or hugs as greetings, and wash hands and clean surfaces appropriately.
USCIS will provide further updates as the situation develops and will continue to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance. Please visit uscis.gov/coronavirus for the latest facts and other USCIS updates.
In response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that it adopted measures to assist applicants and petitioners who are responding to certain Requests for Evidence (RFE) and Notices of Intent to Deny (NOID). This alert clarifies that this flexibility also applies to certain Notices of Intent to Revoke (NOIR) and Notices of Intent to Terminate (NOIT) regional investment centers, as well as certain filing date requirements for Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion.
Notice/Request/Decision Issuance Date: This flexibility applies to an RFE, NOID, NOIR, NOIT or appealable decision within AAO jurisdiction and the issuance date listed on the request, notice or decision is between March 1, 2020 and May 1, 2020, inclusive.
Response Due Date: Any response to an RFE, NOID, NOIR, or NOIT received within 60 calendar days after the response due date set in the request or notice will be considered by USCIS before any action is taken. Any Form I-290B received up to 60 calendar days from the date of the decision will be considered by USCIS before it takes any action. USCIS is adopting several measures to protect our workforce and community, and to minimize the immigration consequences for those seeking immigration benefits during this time. USCIS will provide further updates as the situation develops and will continue to follow CDC guidance. Education and precautions are the strongest tools against COVID-19 infection. Please visit uscis.gov/coronavirus for latest facts and other USCIS updates.
En respuesta a la pandemia de Coronavirus (COVID-19), el Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de Estados Unidos anunció hoy que ha adoptado medidas para para ayudar a los solicitantes y peticionarios que responden a ciertas Solicitudes de Evidencia (RFE) y Notificaciones de Intención de Denegación (NOID). Este mensaje aclara que esta flexibilidad también se aplica a ciertas Notificaciones de Intención de Revocación (NOIR) y Notificaciones de Intención de Cancelación (NOIT) de centros de inversión regionales, así como a ciertos requisitos de la fecha de presentación del Formulario I-290B, Aviso de Apelación o Moción.
Fecha de Emisión de la Solicitud /Notificación/Decisión. Esta flexibilidad se aplica a una RFE, NOID, NOIR, NOIT, o decisión apelable dentro de la jurisdicción de la Oficina de Apelaciones Administrativas (AAO) y la fecha de emisión indicada en la solicitud, notificación o decisión es entre el 1 de marzo de 2020 y el 1 de mayo de 2020, inclusive.
Fechas Límite para Respuestas. USCIS considerará cualquier respuesta a una RFE, NOID, NOIR, o NOIT recibida dentro de los 60 días calendario posteriores a la fecha límite de la respuesta indicada en la solicitud o notificación antes de tomar cualquier medida. USCIS considerará cualquier Formulario I-290B recibido hasta 60 días calendario a partir de la fecha de la decisión antes de tomar cualquier medida.
Para más información. La educación y tomar las precauciones necesarias son las herramientas más fuertes contra el virus. Continúe la práctica de buenos hábitos de salud, evite saludar con apretones de manos y abrazos, y lávese las manos y limpie las superficies apropiadamente. USCIS proporcionará actualizaciones adicionales a medida que se desarrolle la situación y seguirá las guías de los Centros para el Control y Prevención de Enfermedades. Por favor, visite la página uscis.gov/es/coronavirus para obtener los hechos más recientes y otras actualizaciones de USCIS.
According their website, April 7, 2020. On March 18, 2020, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) suspended routine in-person services to help slow the spread of COVID-19. USCIS announced plans to re-open offices on April 7, unless the public closures are extended further.
While offices are closed to the public, USCIS staff continues to perform mission-critical duties that do not involve contact with the public and will provide emergency services for limited situations. Individuals can contact the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (in the U.S.) or 212-620-3418 (outside the U.S.) to inquire about scheduling an emergency appointment. USCIS has made other important announcements related to the National Emergency, and we recommend that you visit their website at USCIS Response to COVID-19 frequently for updates.
The Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman, which is separate from USCIS, has temporarily suspended in-person engagements but remains operational and continues to process requests for case assistance. If you need assistance, please go to our Case Assistance webpage. We also continue to track systemic issues, including those related to COVID-19, which can be submitted to our office at cisombudsman@HQ.DHS.gov. For more information from the federal government regarding COVID-19, please visit the following websites: DHS.gov/coronavirus: Department of Homeland Security information; gov/coronavirus: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) information; and Coronavirus.gov: Catalogue of U.S. government activities. The Ombudsman’s Office will provide further updates as warranted and will continue to follow CDC guidance.
On March 18, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services temporarily suspended in-person services at its field offices, asylum offices, and application support centers (ASCs) to help slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). USCIS offices will begin to reopen on May 4 unless the public closures are extended further. Employees in these offices are continuing to perform mission-essential services that do not require face-to-face contact with the public. USCIS will continue to provide limited emergency services. Please call the Contact Center for assistance with emergency services.
USCIS field offices will send notices to applicants and petitioners with scheduled appointments and naturalization ceremonies impacted by the extended temporary closure. USCIS asylum offices will send interview cancellation notices and automatically reschedule asylum interviews. When the interview is rescheduled, asylum applicants will receive a new interview notice with the new time, date and location of the interview. When USCIS again resumes normal operations, USCIS will automatically reschedule ASC appointments due to the temporary office closure. You will receive a new appointment letter in the mail. Individuals who had InfoPass or other appointments must reschedule through the USCIS Contact Center once field offices are open to the public again. Please check to see if the office in your jurisdiction has been reopened before reaching out to the USCIS Contact Center.
Education and precautions are the strongest tools against infection. Get the latest facts by visiting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID-19 website. Continue to practice good health habits, refrain from handshakes or hugs as greetings, and wash hands and clean surfaces appropriately.
USCIS will provide further updates as the situation develops and will continue to follow CDC guidance. Please also visit uscis.gov/coronavirus for updates.
Yes. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced that beginning April 1, 2020, H-1B cap-subject petitions for fiscal year 2021, including those petitions eligible for the advanced degree exemption, may be filed with USCIS if based on a selected registration. A petitioner is only eligible to file an FY 2021 H-1B cap-subject petition if it registered the beneficiary in the H‑1B registration process, and USCIS selected the registration submitted for the beneficiary.
An H-1B cap-subject petition must be properly filed within the period indicated on the relevant registration selection notice. The period for filing the H-1B cap-subject petition will be at least 90 days. Online filing is not available for H-1B petitions, so petitioners seeking to file H-1B petitions must do so by paper. Petitioners must include a copy of the applicable registration selection notice with the FY 2021 H-1B cap-subject petition.
Petitioners filing H-1B cap-subject petitions, including those petitions eligible for the advanced degree exemption, must still establish eligibility for petition approval at the time the petition is filed and through adjudication, based on existing statutory and regulatory requirements. Selection in the registration process does not relieve the petitioner from submitting evidence or otherwise establishing eligibility, as registration only pertains to eligibility to file the H-1B cap-subject petition. For more information, visit the H-1B Electronic Registration Process page.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recognizes that there are immigration-related challenges as a direct result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. We continue to carefully analyze these issues and to leverage our existing resources and authorities to effectively address these challenges. DHS also continues to take action to protect the American people and our communities, and is considering a number of policies and procedures to improve the employment opportunities of U.S. workers during this pandemic.
Generally, nonimmigrants must depart the United States before their authorized period of admission expires. However, we recognize that nonimmigrants may unexpectedly remain in the United States beyond their authorized period of stay due to COVID-19. Should this occur, the following options are available to nonimmigrants:
Apply for an Extension. Most nonimmigrants can mitigate the immigration consequences of COVID-19 by timely filing an application for extension of stay (EOS) or change in status (COS). U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services continues to accept and process applications and petitions, and many of our forms are available for online filing.
If You File in a Timely Manner. Nonimmigrants generally do not accrue unlawful presence while the timely-filed, non-frivolous EOS/COS application is pending. Where applicable, employment authorization with the same employer, subject to the same terms and conditions of the prior approval, is automatically extended for up to 240 days after I-94 expiration when an extension of stay request is filed on time.
Flexibility for Late Applications. USCIS reminds petitioners and applicants that it may excuse a nonimmigrant’s failure to timely file an extension/change of status request if the delay was due to extraordinary circumstances.
Under current regulations, and as noted on our Special Situations page, if a petitioner or applicant files an extension of stay or change of status request (on Forms I-129 or I-539) after the authorized period of admission expires, USCIS may excuse the failure to timely file if it was due to extraordinary circumstances beyond their control, such as those that may be caused by COVID-19. The length of delay must be commensurate with the circumstances. The petitioner or applicant must submit credible evidence to support their request, which USCIS will evaluate in its discretion on a case-by-case basis. These special situations have been used at various times in the past, including for natural disasters and similar crises.
Please see 8 CFR 214.1(c)(4) and 8 CFR 248.1(c) for additional information on late requests to extend or change status. In addition, please see our Form I-129 and Form I-539 pages for specific filing and eligibility requirements for extensions of stay and changes of status.
Flexibility for Visa Waiver Entrants. Visa Waiver Program (VWP) entrants are not eligible to extend their stay or change status. However, under current regulations, if an emergency (such as COVID-19) prevents the departure of a VWP entrant, USCIS in its discretion may grant a period of satisfactory departure for up to 30 days. Please see 8 CFR 217.3(a). For those VWP entrants already granted satisfactory departure and unable to depart within this 30-day period because of COVID-19 related issues, USCIS has the authority to temporarily provide an additional 30-day period of satisfactory departure. To request satisfactory departure from USCIS, a VWP entrant should call the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283.
El Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS, por sus siglas en inglés) reconoce que hay retos relacionados a inmigración debido a la pandemia del coronavirus (COVID-19). Continuamos el análisis cuidadoso de dichos asuntos y hacemos uso de nuestros recursos y facultades a fin de atender eficazmente dichos retos. DHS también toma acciones en este momento para proteger a los estadounidenses y nuestras comunidades, y considera varias políticas y procedimientos para mejorar las oportunidades de empleo de los trabajadores estadounidenses durante esta pandemia.
Por lo general, los no inmigrantes deben salir de Estados Unidos antes de que venza su periodo de admisión autorizado. Sin embargo, reconocemos que los no inmigrantes podrían tener que permanecer inesperadamente en Estados Unidos más allá de su periodo de admisión autorizado debido al COVID-19. Si esto ocurre, las siguientes opciones están disponibles para los no inmigrantes:
Solicitar una Extensión de Estadía. La mayoría de no inmigrantes puede mitigar las consecuencias migratorias de COVID-19 al presentar una solicitud de extensión de estadía (EOS, por sus siglas en inglés) o de cambio de estatus (COS, por sus siglas en inglés) de manera oportuna. El Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglés) acepta y procesa solicitudes y peticiones en este momento, y muchos de nuestros formularios están disponibles para presentación en línea.
Si Presenta su Solicitud de Manera Oportuna. Por lo general, los no inmigrantes no acumulan presencia ilegal mientras la solicitud EOS o COS fundamentada y presentada de manera oportuna está en trámite. En los casos que corresponda, se extenderá automáticamente la autorización de empleo con el mismo empleador, sujeta a los mismos términos y condiciones de la aprobación anterior hasta 240 días después del vencimiento del I-94, cuando se presente una petición de extensión de estadía a tiempo.
Flexibilidad en los Casos de Solicitudes Tardías. USCIS les recuerda a los peticionarios y solicitantes que podría excusar que un no inmigrante no presente oportunamente una petición de extensión/cambio de estatus si la demora está basada en circunstancias extraordinarias.
Bajo las regulaciones vigentes y según lo indicado en la página de Situaciones Especiales, si un peticionario o solicitante presenta una petición de estadía o de cambio de estatus (por medio de los formularios I-129 o I-539) después de que venza el periodo de admisión autorizado, USCIS, a discreción propia, podría excusar el no haber presentado la petición a tiempo si se debió a circunstancias extraordinarias fuera de su control como, por ejemplo, aquellas que puedan ser causadas por COVID-19. La duración de la demora debe ser acorde con las circunstancias. El peticionario o solicitante debe presentar evidencia creíble para apoyar su petición, que USCIS evaluará a discreción propia, según cada caso individual. Estas situaciones especiales han sido utilizadas en varias ocasiones en el pasado, incluso durante desastres naturales y crisis similares.
Por favor, vea 8 CFR 214.1(c)(4) y 8 CFR 248.1(c) para información adicional acerca de la presentación tardía de peticiones para extender estadía o cambiar estatus. Además, vea las páginas de nuestros formularios I-129 e I-539 para obtener los requisitos específicos de presentación y elegibilidad para extensiones de estadía y cambios de estatus.
Flexibilidad para Participantes del Programa de Exención de Visa. Los participantes del Programa de Exención de Visas (VWP, por sus siglas en inglés) no son elegibles para extender su estadía o cambiar su estatus. Sin embargo, bajo las regulaciones vigentes, si una emergencia (como COVID-19) impide la salida de un participante de VWP, USCIS, a discreción, podría otorgarle un periodo de salida satisfactoria de hasta 30 días. Por favor, vea 8 CFR 217.3(a). A aquellos participantes VWP a quienes se les concedió la salida satisfactoria y no pueden salir dentro del periodo de 30 días debido al COVID-19, USCIS tiene la autoridad de proporcionarle un periodo único de 30 días adicionales para salida satisfactoria. Para solicitar que USCIS le otorgue la salida satisfactoria, un participante de VWP debe llamar al Centro de Contacto de USCIS al 1-800-375-5283.
Yes, in some cases. For example, they recently posted the following response regarding flexiblity in USCIS requests. In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is extending the flexibilities it announced on March 30 to assist applicants and petitioners who are responding to certain: Requests for Evidence; Continuations to Request Evidence (N-14); Notices of Intent to Deny; Notices of Intent to Revoke; Notices of Intent to Rescind and Notices of Intent to Terminate regional investment centers; and filing date requirements for Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion.
Notice/Request/Decision Issuance Date
This flexibility applies to the documents listed above if the issuance date listed on the request, notice, or decision is between March 1 and July 1, 2020, inclusive.
Response Due Date
USCIS will consider a response to a request or notice listed above received within 60 calendar days after the response due date set in the request or notice before taking action. USCIS will consider a Form I-290B received up to 60 calendar days from the date of the decision before it takes any action.
En respuesta a la pandemia de coronavirus (COVID-19), el Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de Estados Unidos ha ampliado las flexibilidades que anunció el 30 de marzo para ayudar a los solicitantes y peticionarios que responden a ciertas(os):
Solicitudes de Evidencia, Continuaciones a Solicitudes de Evidencia (N-14),
Notificaciones de Intención de Denegación, Notificaciones de Intención de Revocación,
Notificaciones de Intención de Rescindir y Notificaciones de Intención de Cancelación de centros de inversión regionales, y Requisitos de fechas de presentación del Formulario I-290B, Aviso de Apelación o Moción.
Fecha de Emisión de la Notificación/Solicitud/Decisión
Esta flexibilidad aplica a los documentos listados arriba si la fecha de emisión indicada en la solicitud, notificación o decisión es entre el 1 de marzo de 2020 y el 1 de julio de 2020, inclusive.
Fecha Límite para Respuestas
USCIS considerará cualquier respuesta a las solicitudes o notificaciones si la recibe dentro de los 60 días calendario posteriores a la fecha límite de respuesta indicada en la solicitud o notificación, antes de tomar cualquier acción. USCIS considerará cualquier Formulario I-290B recibido hasta 60 días calendario a partir de la fecha de la decisión antes de tomar cualquier acción.
