USCIS to Require In-Person Interview for Employment-based Adjustment of Status Applications and Refugee/Asylee Relative Petitions.
by Rabindra Singh
Effective October 1, 2017, USCIS will begin to phase-in interviews for the following:
• Adjustment of status applications based on employment (Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status).
• Refugee/asylee relative petitions (Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition) for beneficiaries who are in the United States and are petitioning to join a principal asylee/refugee applicant.
USCIS believes that conducting in-person interviews will provide officers with the opportunity to verify the information provided in an individual’s application, to discover new information that may be relevant to the adjudication process, and to determine the credibility of the individual seeking permanent residence in the United States. USCIS will meet the additional interview requirement through enhancements in training and technology as well as transitions in some aspects of case management.
Does that mean that we are looking at another filing fee hike in the near future as USCIS would need to bring in additional resources, not to mention additional adjudicating officers, to interview the new pool of applicants/beneficiaries?
Note that USCIS is funded primarily by immigration and naturalization benefit fees charged to applicants and petitioners.
See USCIS’ Press Release here: https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/uscis-to-expand-in-person-interview-requirements-for-certain-permanent-residency-applicants