USCIS InfoPass Pilot Program Complicates Scheduling Process
July 3rd, 2018 by SRW Lawyers
A pilot program launched by USCIS is aimed at changing the InfoPass scheduling process. If these changes are ultimately implemented, it will make it increasingly difficult to interface with a USCIS officer.
As background, InfoPass is a free online service offered by USCIS that allows you to schedule your own appointment with a USCIS immigration officer. It is only intended for complex immigration issues and not for routine inquiries. This service eliminates the need to go to a local USCIS office or calling to schedule an appointment. On its website, USCIS explains how the InfoPass online scheduling system can make your life easier, describing it as free, easy and convenient.
The InfoPass pilot program introduces a new process that eliminates the option to go online to schedule the appointment yourself. The program is currently underway at five USCIS field offices: Hartford, Connecticut; El Paso, Texas; Jacksonville, Florida; Sacramento, California; and San Francisco, California.
It should be noted that you will not find any information about the pilot program on USCIS’s official website, although the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) issued an article in February 2018 that it was receiving reports about the InfoPass pilot program. (AILA Doc. No. 18020500.)
According to a report by AILA, in order to schedule an InfoPass appointment at one of the participating USCIS field offices, you will first need to call the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283, speak to a Tier 1 officer, and request to schedule an InfoPass appointment. “The call will then be escalated to a Tier 2 USCIS representative who will confirm that the issue is appropriate for an InfoPass appointment before scheduling the appointment.” General information on the USCIS Contact Center is available here.
The new process is intended to “avoid InfoPass appointments being utilized for routine inquiries that can be resolved via the Customer Service Hotline.” However, AILA reported that since the pilot was implemented, people who have called the USCIS Contact Center to schedule an appointment at one of the participating field offices were having a hard time completing the task. Some of the Tier 1 and Tier 2 officers did not seem to be aware of the new process they were supposed to follow.
If you are having difficulty scheduling an appointment at one of the above-listed field offices, please contact us at 716-854-7525 or http://srwlawyers.com/contact.
