USCIS Will Maintain Only Seven International Field Offices

On August 9, 2019, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will only maintain international field offices at seven locations going forward [PDF version].

The USCIS will maintain operations at the following field offices:

Beijing, China;
Guangzhou, China;
Nairobi, Kenya;
Guatemala City, Guatemala;
New Delhi, India
Mexico City, Mexico; and
San Salvador, El Salvador.

The USCIS had previously decided to maintain its field offices in Guatemala City, Mexico City, and San Salvador in order to address the crisis at the southern border. The August 9 announcement added the field offices in Beijing, Guangzhou, Nairobi, and New Delhi to the list of continuing USCIS field offices.

Elsewhere, the USCIS stated that it would close its thirteen other international field offices and three district offices by August 2020. The first two to close will be the field offices in Monterrey, Mexico, and Seoul, South Korea.

The USCIS explained that in locations where field offices are being closed, “[m]any functions currently performed at international offices will be handled domestically or by USCIS domestic staff on temporary assignments abroad.” The U.S. Department of State (DOS) will assume responsibility for certain in-person functions that had previously been performed at USCIS international field offices. The DOS already performs many of these functions in locations where the USCIS does not currently have international field offices.

Those with questions about how the closure of a specific USCIS field office may affect their cases should consult with their immigration attorney for case-specific guidance. We discuss the closure of the USCIS's international field office in Seoul, South Korea, in a separate post [see blog].