USCIS Addresses Processing Errors in Biometric Services Appoint Notices Issued With Certain Form I-751 Petitions

On May 23, 2018, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released important information about processing errors involving biometric services appointment notices associated with Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence applications [PDF version].

On May 4, 2018, the “USCIS mailed a number of biometric services appointment notices with incorrect Application Support Center (ASC) locations to petitioners who filed Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence.”

The USCIS explained that all of the affected notices have the following features:

Date of 05/04/2018;
Case type of “I-751 — PETITION TO REMOVE CONDITIONS ON RESIDENCE.”; and
Instruction to petitioners to appear for their biometric services appointments starting the week of May 21, 2018, at ASCs located out of the normal geographic area.

On June 8, 2018, the USCIS will mail new biometric services appointment notices to Form I-751 petitioners who (1) received an incorrect notice and who (2) did not reschedule their appointment or did not appear as a walk-in at the closest ASC to their location.

The USCIS made clear that Form I-751 petitioners who received an incorrect notice do not need to travel out of the normal area to attend their biometric services appointment. The USCIS stated that these Form I-751 petitioners have two options.

1. The Form I-751 petitioner may wait until he or she receives a new biometric services appointment notice with the correct ASC and new appointment date. A petitioner using this option may check to confirm when the USCIS has sent a new appointment notice by using the USCIS website's Case Status Online feature.
2. The Form I-751 petitioner may go to his or her closest ASC as a walk-in. The USCIS cautions that a petitioner using this option “may experience a long wait time and may not be seen that day.” A petitioner may use the ASC locator on the USCIS website to find his or her closest ASC.

Conclusion

The Form I-751 is for petitioning for removal of conditions on permanent resident status obtained through marriage to a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (LPR). Those seeking to remove the conditions on their lawful permanent resident status should consult with an experienced immigration attorney throughout the process. We address this and related issues in our website sections on Family Immigration [see category] and Removal of Conditions [see category].