Effective October 1, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) began conducting in-person interviews for the following immigration benefit applicants:
- Adjustment of status applications based on employment (Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status), and
- Refugee/Asylee relative petitions (Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition) for beneficiaries who are in the United States and are petitioning to join a principal asylee/refugee applicant.
This expansion was put in place to comply with Executive Order 13780, “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States,” and is part of the agency’s strategy to further improve the detection and prevention of fraud.
Previously, applicants in the above referenced categories did not require an in-person interview with USCIS officers to get their applications adjudicated for permanent residency. Beyond these categories, USCIS is planning an incremental expansion of interviews to other benefit types.
If you should have any questions or need more information about the way that the U.S. immigration and nationality laws may impact you, your family, or your friends, please contact the Law Offices of Azita M. Mojarad, P.C. by e-mailing us at azita@azitalaw.com, or by calling us at 312-641-0771, or by visiting our website at www.azitalaw.com.