ARTICLE · 31 AUGUST 2017

USCIS Expands In-Person Interview Requirements for Certain Permanent Residency Applicants

Womble Bond Dickinson

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The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that, effective October 1, 2017, it will begin expanding in-person interviews for certain immigration benefit applications that currently do not require interview for approval.

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The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that, effective October 1, 2017, it will begin expanding in-person interviews for certain immigration benefit applications that currently do not require interview for approval.

The in-person interview requirement will initially be limited to two categories of benefit application:

Applications for lawful permanent resident (LPR or "green card") status through an offer of employment; and
Petitions filed by asylees/refugees for their spouse and/or childr(en) to join them in the United States.

USCIS also indicated it will incrementally expand the in-person interview requirement to other as-yet unidentified benefit types. No time frame was provided.

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