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Fingerprints appointment: can we choose the date/location
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zorkaxo
2/6/2014 8:56:38 PM
Total Posts: 20
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Hello, My PD has been current since Jan 2014 but my lawyer has been VERY slow and is only about to file my I-485 application. My job makes me travel pretty much every week, to different location. I emailed my lawyer but she has not gotten back to me yet, so here is my question: can we choose the FP appointment time and location? I know where I will be in the next 4 weeks, but won't be home (except on weekends). Does USCIS assign you a time and location for the FP, or you can choose those? What if you cannot make the appointment or time given to you? I don't want to create delays and want to be proactive and plan ahead. Thank you for the precious information! Almost there.... [lol]
catx
2/6/2014 11:22:26 PM
Total Posts: 12
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You cannot chose the biometrics appointment date, time, and location. After your I-485 adjustment of status (AoS) application has been filed and you have a receipt date and receipt number, then in ~2-4 weeks you will receive a letter in the mail from the USCIS with your biometrics appointment (stating the date, time, and location). In other words, yes, the USCIS assigns you a date, time, and location for your biometrics appointment. If you call the USCIS after you receive your biometrics appointment to ask to have it rescheduled, then they will assign another data and time, but you still do not get to choose it. Also, rescheduling your biometrics appointment only serves to delay adjudicating your I-485 AoS application. You need to make whatever arrangements are necessary so to go to your scheduled biometrics appointment. (As an example, for my daughter she had to reschedule an university exam, and I drove the 2 hours to pick her up from school and the drove her back after our biometrics appointment.)
zorkaxo
2/7/2014 2:47:56 AM
Total Posts: 20
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Thank you for the reply. Do they always select a weekday, or can it also be on Saturday? How do they decide on the location? The closest office to the applicant's address?
catx
2/7/2014 10:02:26 PM
Total Posts: 12
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I doubt the USCIS does biometrics appointments on Saturdays. I believe they are done during normal business hours Monday - Friday. They are also closed for federal government holidays. I believe the location is the closest to the applicant's (residential) address.
zorkaxo
2/7/2014 10:44:10 PM
Total Posts: 20
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Thank you Catx. One last question (I swear): based on the Yelp reviews, the USCIS location for FP closest to my address seems to accept early walk-in. Is there a benefit to go earlier and have it done ASAP, or the FP step is not a bottleneck for the overall I-485 processing time (and going there early would not impact the approval date)?
catx
2/8/2014 12:33:14 AM
Total Posts: 12
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IMO, I would wait until you receive your biometrics appointment letter from the USCIS (which will be ~2-4 weeks after your I-485 adjustment of status (AoS) application has been received by the USCIS). The scheduled date will be several days to a couple weeks from when you receive the biometrics appointment letter. At that point you could call the USCIS location and ask if you can do an early walk-in instead of the scheduled appointment. Note: Preference is given to scheduled appointments so it can be a couple hours wait time to get your biometrics done as a walk-in. Since biometrics are done in the first 4-6 weeks after your I-485 AoS application has been received, they generally do not impact the overall processing time, which is typically ~4 months for approval of your permanent residency visa (green card).
zorkaxo
2/8/2014 3:44:50 PM
Total Posts: 20
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Thank you for the valuable info


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