United States

USCIS to maintain 7 international offices, close others by August of 2020

9 Aug 19

UNITED STATES

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said in a statement Friday that it will maintain operations at seven of its international offices. The agency had previously indicated it would close all of them by next year.

Key points:

  • USCIS said it will maintain operations at its offices in:
    • Beijing, China;
    • Guangzhou, China;
    • San Salvador, El Salvador;
    • Guatemala City, Guatemala;
    • New Delhi, India;
    • Nairobi, Kenya; and
    • Mexico City, Mexico.
  • USCIS said it will close other international offices between now and August of 2020.
    • USCIS has already closed offices in Moscow, Russia, Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and Manila, the Philippines.
    • The next offices to close will be USCIS field offices in Monterrey, Mexico, and Seoul, South Korea. These offices are slated to close at the end of September.
    • The remaining USCIS offices will close between now and August of 2020.

BAL Analysis: While USCIS will maintain seven of its international offices, the agency has already started to wind down its services abroad. Applicants should expect services to be limited. U.S. Consulates and USCIS offices within the U.S. will share the workload for USCIS offices abroad that shut their doors. Those outside of the United States who are in need of USCIS services are encouraged to work closely with BAL in the coming months to determine their best filing options.

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

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