What Happens at a USCIS Biometrics Appointment

When you apply for a do good from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) — such as a work allow, citizenship, green card or even a green card renewal — a standard part of the process is a biometrics appointment (as well known as a biometrics screening). It may sound scary, only it shouldn't exist a concern for nigh people. Regardless, it'southward important to understand what happens at your USCIS appointment, what to expect, and who should be concerned.

The technical definition of "biometrics" means that a person'south unique physical and other traits are detected and recorded as a means of confirming identity. In simple terms, USCIS will obtain your photograph, fingerprints and accept y'all sign your name. This process confirms your identity so that USCIS provides benefits to the correct person and facilitates the necessary criminal background check. A biometrics screening is non an interview.

biometrics appointment or screening at USCIS

USCIS Biometrics Appointment Notice

biometrics appointment notice (Form I-797)

USCIS volition mail y'all the biometrics appointment find after you submit your application or petition. The appointment will have place before you lot receive any benefits or a carte du jour in the post. The letter of the alphabet will arrive every bit an "Awarding Support Center (ASC) Date Notice" (Course I-797C, Notice of Activeness) and will include information most the date, time and location for your ASC date. The appointment itself takes most people xv to 30 minutes.

USCIS recommends that you attend the biometrics engagement at the Awarding Support Center that has been scheduled for you. If the location of this ASC is not convenient for you, some applicants have been able to reschedule the appointment at an alternative ASC. A change in location is at the discretion of USCIS. For a list of ASCs, meet the USCIS Service and Office Locator.

Over again, USCIS volition schedule the time and location for you. USCIS recommends that you appear at the ASC which has been assigned to yous.

ASC Biometrics Find Codes

Y'all may discover that your ASC Biometrics Appointment Notice includes a code in the pinnacle right function of the letter. The code is intended to indicate the blazon of biometrics processing to be performed. The possible values are:

  • Lawmaking ane – fingerprinting for 10 prints only
  • Code 2 – photograph, signature and index finger printing-print
  • Lawmaking 3 – photo, signature, alphabetize finger press-print and fingerprinting for 10 prints

Rescheduling a Biometrics Appointment

USCIS generally recommends that yous attend the appointment that they schedule for you. However, you may reschedule the engagement if necessary. USCIS no longer accepts written requests to reschedule the engagement. Instead, you must phone call USCIS at 1-800-375-5283 (TTY i-800-767-1833) before the engagement and time of your original engagement and institute good crusade for rescheduling. If you fail to call before your scheduled appointment or fail to establish good cause, USCIS may not reschedule the appointment. If you fail to appear for your originally scheduled biometric services appointment and the appointment is not rescheduled, they will consider the related application, petition, or request abandoned and, as a event, USCIS may deny it.

Depending on the type of application, region of the country, and workload, USCIS may initially schedule the biometrics appointment on twenty-four hours within three to 8 weeks of filing your USCIS grade. USCIS Application Support Centers cannot reschedule the date for more than 30 days. Therefore, it's likely they volition a reschedule engagement within a 30-day time frame from the date of the reschedule request.

Rescheduling your appointment will delay your case. It is likely that the application/petition yous have filed will exist denied if biometrics is non satisfied inside a reasonable time frame every bit scheduled past USCIS.

application support center for biometric screenings

Families with Biometrics Appointments

If you lot have more than ane person in your family unit that requires a biometrics screening, information technology'southward more convenient to have them scheduled together. USCIS will endeavour to schedule your family's biometrics appointments together. Unfortunately, this doesn't always happen.

If you lot take received your appointment detect, but your dependent(south) accept not, it may exist possible for your family members to attend your appointment. The USCIS ASC may agree to capture their biometrics on the same 24-hour interval even if they practise not take scheduled appointments. The decision to combine the biometric screenings is at the discretion of the ASC. The ASC may refuse to do then.

Mostly, children under fourteen years of age are exempt from biometrics fee. Still, your child must yet appear at the ASC if a biometrics engagement has been scheduled by USCIS. You cannot ignore this notice. Information technology's likely that your kid is being called in for a "Code ii" biometrics appointment. For children who are adjusting status, this information is necessary for the generation of the permanent resident card (too known every bit a light-green card).

How to Prepare for the USCIS Biometrics Appointment

When you lot get your biometric services appointment notification, it will also include a list of items to bring to the appointment. In addition to the appointment notice itself (Form I-797C), you will exist required to bring photo identification. Typically, adequate documents include:

  • Permanent resident card (light-green card)
  • Passport or national photo identification issued by your habitation country
  • Commuter'south license
  • Military photo identification
  • Land-issued photo identification card

fingerprint to be used as part of a criminal background check

When yous appear for your biometrics engagement, USCIS will digitally capture your fingerprints, photograph and signature on a LiveScan machine. When it is time to sign your name, USCIS will ask you to adjure to the truth of the following statement:

I declare under penalty of perjury that I accept reviewed and understand my awarding, petition, or request every bit identified by the receipt number displayed on the screen above, and all supporting documents, applications, petitions, or requests filed with my application, petition, or request that I (or my attorney or accredited representative) filed with USCIS, and that all of the information in these materials is complete, true, and correct.

The language is just displayed in English language or Spanish. If you require a dissimilar foreign linguistic communication, USCIS recommends that yous select the appropriate language translation and review information technology before you appear for your ASC appointment.

When to Be Concerned Nigh a Biometrics Appointment

About people don't demand to worry about the USCIS biometrics engagement and subsequent FBI background bank check. USCIS will procedure this information through the FBI database in society to check for any criminal records.

However, if you recollect yous might have a criminal record, contact an immigration lawyer before going to a USCIS biometrics appointment. (If you think yous might accept a criminal record, yous should contact an immigration lawyer before filing whatever USCIS grade.) Some crimes volition make you ineligible for clearing benefits. A lawyer tin request a groundwork bank check before USCIS does and bargain with information technology as necessary.

Later on a Biometrics Appointment

Once y'all take completed your biometrics engagement, you will exist given a stamp on your engagement notice confirming that you attended. Keep this certificate safe. It serves as proof if USCIS cannot find its record stating that you attended the date.

USCIS biometrics stamp

The next step depends on the type of application you filed. Some, like marriage cases, require an interview; others, such equally employment-based petitions, may only require interviews when there are bug that need further inquiry.

If you go another biometrics engagement detect in the following weeks, don't panic. This is ordinarily the result of smudged prints, and fingerprints will need to be retaken to complete the background check. USCIS will non charge an additional fee.

Depending on your application type and the service heart processing information technology, it may exist several weeks (or months) before yous hear from USCIS over again. Remember, yous tin always check the status of your case online.

Additional Biometrics Appointments

There are many reasons USCIS may require an boosted biometrics appointment for you lot. Biometrics information is considered valid for a menstruum of 15 months. Therefore, it's very mutual for applicants to attend multiple biometrics appointment. This tin can occur if an application or petition is pending for several months or the person has requested a carve up immigration benefit from USCIS.

Biometrics Appointment FAQs

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