USCIS Field Offices to Reopen on June 4, 2020

UPDATE: On Friday, May 1, 2020, the USCIS announced
an extension of 60 days for several types of responses.  This applies to requests of the following types
that were issued between March 1 and July 1, 2020:         

• 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.

In short, this will allow respondents more flexibility in response time. For example, if the USCIS sent you a request for additional evidence on April 20, 2020, and the notice says a response is due by July 20, 2020, you really now have until September 18, 2020 (60 days later than the original due date) to get your documents to the USCIS that issued the request. This is good news for those who are unable to access documents and records due to the pandemic.

On April 24, 2020, the USCIS announced that it will begin reopening field offices starting June 4, 2020. All field offices have been closed to the public since mid-March.

As re-openings occur, the USCIS will send out notices to reschedule appointments and naturalization ceremonies that have been cancelled during the closure. Applicants and petitioners who have had appointments cancelled over the last several weeks will be notified by mail by the Service.

There is no specific information in this announcement about when individual offices will resume interviews. It says only “on or after June 4.” We do not yet know when the Memphis and Nashville field offices will reopen, but as new information is available, we will notify waiting clients. You can also visit the USCIS webpage on office closures: https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/uscis-office-closings.

Please also note that while USCIS Field Offices have been closed to the public, USCIS Field Office employees have still been there at their offices working on things that do not require in-person visits with applicants.  For example, the Texas Service Center transferred some long-pending Petitions to Remove Conditions to Field Offices.  Service Centers of the USCIS have not been shut down at all during this period of social distancing.  This means much of the work of the USCIS has not been interrupted.