After an application is filed with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a biometrics services appointment will be scheduled at a local Application Support Center (ASC). USCIS conducts checks on every applicant to make sure they are eligible for the benefit they are applying for.
Applicants will receive the fingerprinting appointment notice, Form I-797C, Notice of Action, few days after they file their applications. Date, time and location for their appointment will be indicated on that notice.
USCIS will use the biometrics to confirm the identity of the applicants and to conduct the necessary background checks. Applicants need to make sure they do not miss their biometrics appointment.
USCIS allows applicants to reschedule their appointments to a later date if they may not be able to appear for the scheduled appointment. Applicants can find information on rescheduling an appointment on their appointment notice.
They need to fill in information in the space provided below “Request for Rescheduling” and send it to the USCIS. They will need to retain a copy of the notice for their records. Rescheduling needs to be done before their scheduled appointment.
Alternatively, applicants can just visit the ASC before their scheduled appointment and provide biometrics. ASC will process biometrics on a walk-in basis but applicants will need to wait as the ASC will process walk-ins only after the scheduled applicants have been serviced.
Applicants who wish to walk-in before their scheduled appointments, will need to carry with them a government-issued identification document and their biometrics appointment notice. Without their biometrics appointment notice, ASC will not capture their biometrics. If they fail to appear for their scheduled appointment and also fail to reschedule their appointment, USCIS may deny their applications.
The biometrics appointment is an important part in the application filing process for almost all immigration and naturalization applications. Failure to appear may result in the denial of their applications or at least delay the processing of their application.
