CSC Changes Fingerprint Timing
Posted Apr 25, 2003

As of mid-April 2003, the California Service Center (CSC) changed the fingerprint timing for persons with Applications for Adjustment of Status (Form I-485). The fingerprint appointments will now be set approximately 9-months after filing the I-485. The reason for the change is to avoid the problem of fingerprints expiring, which then requires re-doing the fingerprints. Obviously, this creates more work and delays the cases further.

Previously, the fingerprinting notices, which are issued by contractors, would arrive at varying times during the case process. They were not tied to case progress. In the event that the fingerprint report was too old by the time the case was ready for adjudication, new prints would be required. At the time of this writing, an I-485 filed with the CSC will take at least 15 months for processing. Cases will not be expedited in time to avoid fingerprint expiration.

People often ask, "How can fingerprints expire?" as they do not change. It is not actually the fingerprints that expire, but the reports that are generated from the fingerprints. The fingerprints are not retained, so an updated report cannot be obtained without new fingerprints. This change, hopefully, will fix the problem and help the case processing times in a small way, at least.