What's New in the World of Immigration?

11/23/2018 - USCIS to End Self-Scheduled Infopass Appointments

In yet another move to eliminate services available to paying customers, USCIS has announced that is will eliminate self-scheduled INFOPASS appointments by the end of 2019. INFOPASS is an in-person meeting with a USCIS personnel that is available to Applicants who have gone through the legal process and paid for immigration benefits such as work permits, travel permits, adjustment of status and citizenship. These appointments are vital in cases where USCIS error creates a delay in the processing or receipt of a necessary document, as often online resources are inadequate and requests through the National Customer Service Center are followed by notorious delays and inaction.

Below is the official announcement from USCIS, which ironically comes under the pretense of "modernization":

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will expand its Information Services Modernization

Program to key field offices, beginning with the Detroit Field Office and the five offices in the Los Angeles District on Nov. 13. Field offices in the Newark, Great Lakes, and San Francisco districts will implement the program during the first quarter of fiscal year (FY) 2019. USCIS anticipates expanding the program to all remaining field offices by the end of FY 2019.

The Information Services Modernization Program ends self-scheduling of InfoPass appointments and instead encourages applicants to use USCIS online information resources to view general how-to information and check case statuses through the USCIS Contact Center. Recent improvements to online tools provide applicants the ability to obtain their case status and other immigration information without having to visit a local field office.