In an effort to increase customer convenience within the United States immigration system, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today the implementation of its new online appointment request form. This online form allows individuals, attorneys and accredited representatives to request an in-person appointment at their local field office without having to call the USCIS Contact Center, which often can have long call wait times depending on the time of day.
It is important to note that this new technology is not a self-scheduling tool and that individuals cannot schedule their own appointments with USCIS through this form. Rather, the USCIS Contact Center will review submitted forms and the availability of in-person appointments at a specific field office and will confirm and schedule the individual for an in-person appointment date and time. Individuals may also request a specific date and time for an in-person appointment, but the USCIS cannot guarantee that the requested appointment date will be granted.
This new feature falls in line with the Executive Order on Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government. By spearheading innovative measures and making efforts towards efficiency, USCIS aims to heighten the overall customer experience and service quality, which ultimately will lead to a more productive system.
As stated by the USCIS in its August 21, 2023 announcement: “The online appointment request form is expected to enhance the customer experience by collecting required information upfront and potentially scheduling the requested appointment without any further engagement with the USCIS Contact Center.”
Individuals opting to use this method to schedule their appointments may be contacted by the USCIS Contact Center, either through telephone or email communication, depending on the urgency of and the purpose behind the requested appointment. The reference number provided during the initial request submission will be important in documenting the communications.
For those who wish to use this online form and learn more information, the USCIS encourages a visit to [my.uscis.gov/appointment](https://my.uscis.gov/appointment). This online resource offers more details of the online appointment request form, elucidating its utility, benefits, and procedural intricacies. As the USCIS continues to improve its efficiency and customer experience, this new feature hopes to lead the way towards greater convenience, efficiency, and customer-centricity and improve the ways that individuals and their representatives interact with the immigration system.
