By Nikita St. Amour, Sumner Immigration Law Paralegal

You can now reschedule your biometrics appointment online!

USCIS recently launched a new self-service biometric services appointment rescheduling tool on my.uscis.gov. If you needed to reschedule your biometrics appointment in the past, you had to mail a letter to USCIS and/or call them and hope you knew a magic word to get through to a real person. The process often required trying to contact USCIS multiple times. Being able to reschedule most biometric appointments online is a tremendous step towards USCIS' efforts to streamline their processes and reduce wait times for the call center.

To take advantage of the new online rescheduling tool, you must first create a USCIS online account (if you do not already have one) and visit my.uscis.gov before your scheduled appointment date. You can then select the biometrics rescheduling option and follow the prompted instructions to schedule a new appointment time and/or location. You'll then need to print the new appointment notice to bring to your appointment. Electronic copies of the notice will not be accepted. You should also bring the original appointment notice you received, as well as any other documentation listed on your original appointment notice.

In certain instances, you will still need to call the Contact Center to reschedule a biometric services appointment. You must still call the USCIS Contact Center to reschedule an appointment if:

• The request is within 12 hours of your existing appointment time (considered an untimely request);
• This is the third attempt to reschedule the same appointment;
• The request is for a missed appointment; or
• The tool is unavailable due to technical reasons.

To further promote and gain familiarity with the new online biometrics rescheduling tool, USCIS plans to conduct outreach activities with the community. We are thrilled for this positive step towards streamlining efficiency with USCIS.

If you are a current Sumner Immigration Law client and you need help rescheduling a biometrics appointment we're happy to assist. If you plan to reschedule yourself online, please let us know so we can update your case progress internally.

If you are not yet a Sumner Immigration Law client and you're looking for an experienced, empathetic, and efficient team to help you navigate the process with confidence, please contact us today to set up your initiation consultation to get the process started! You can set an appointment online. You can also call us at 804-396-3412 or send us an email at info@sumnerimmigration.com. We are immigration lawyers in Richmond, VA but we serve clients throughout the U.S. and around the world. For more information on our firm visit Who We Are and What Makes Us Different! We look forward to hearing from you!

As always, the above information is for educational purposes only and is not legal advice. Please speak with a qualified immigration lawyer before taking action.