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On August 28, 2017, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced an expansion of in-person interviews. In compliance with Executive Order 13780, “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States,” this expansion will apply to several types of immigration applications for permanent residence.

This expansion of in-person interviews is a continuation of new restrictive policies and practices implemented under the current Presidential administration. According to USCIS, the purpose of these expanded in-person interviews is “to further improve the detection and prevention of fraud and further enhance the integrity of the immigration system.”

Beginning on October 1, the following cases will be subject to in-person interviews:

  • Adjustment of Status applications based on employment (Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status).
  • 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.

In addition, USCIS plans to incrementally expand in-person interviews for other immigration benefit types. By conducting in-person interviews, USCIS believes that their officers will have the opportunity to verify information provided on applications, discover new information relevant to the adjudication process, and determine the credibility of the applicants.

Please do not hesitate to contact our offices for any questions or concerns you may have regarding this matter. Our offices will keep you up to date regarding any further developments.