USCIS Launching InfoPass Pilot Program

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is in the process of launching a pilot program related to the InfoPass system, according to the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). InfoPass is an online system that allows a stakeholder to schedule an appointment to speak in-person with an officer at a local USCIS field office. The pilot program, which will only apply to select field offices, will require a person to speak with the USCIS National Customer Service Center (NCSC) by phone before being able to schedule an InfoPass appointment.

Information on Pilot Program

In order to schedule an InfoPass appointment under the pilot program, the individual will be required first to contact the NCSC and speak with a tier 1 customer service representative. If the tier 1 representative is unable to resolve the matter, the individual will be transferred to a tier 2 USCIS officer. If the matter still cannot be resolved, only then will the individual be permitted to schedule an InfoPass appointment. The pilot program will initially only apply to the USCIS field offices in following cities: Hartford, Connecticut; El Paso, Texas; Jacksonville, Florida; Sacramento, California; and San Francisco, California.

No Official Statement Yet From USCIS

The USCIS has not released an official statement on this pilot program. It is unclear when the program will be put into place.

Conclusion

While no information was provided related to the purpose of the pilot program, it is clearly designed to discourage use of the InfoPass system. Given that the USCIS field offices are now being required to conduct in-person interviews for most I-485 applicants, it seems likely that the ultimate goal of the program is to free up officers to handle this increased workload.

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