USICS biometrics

By: Jessica Potter | Posted: 31st January 2012

Biometrics is the process of getting your fingerprints registered with the USCIS. This is done to run a background check of all applicants who are applying for immigration with the USCIS. This is an essential part of most of the immigration procedures.

Biometrics – Getting an appointment

Once you have filed in your specific application form and it is approved by the USCIS, you will receive a biometrics appointment notice. This notice is very important as it will carry the information regarding the venue and date, time of the fingerprinting session. Generally the venue will be a local ASC that is nearest to your place of residence. However this does not hold good for big cities for the USCIS may schedule the appointment in any center based on the number of applications received at each center.


Getting it done

You will be allowed in for biometrics only if you have the appointment notice and all the documents that are mentioned on it. The documents that are needed for proof may vary so it is always best to check to your particular appointment letter. There are instances when you can go in for an early walk –in, (i.e.) going in to get your fingerprints done at an earlier date than the scheduled one on your letter. However this is not a surety as the ASC may deny your request for an early walk-in due to various reasons.

When you are going in for your biometrics, make sure that you leave all your electronic gadgets at home or with some friend. This is because all these are totally prohibited at a biometrics appointment. You will be given a form to fill in all your personal details and also indicate what specific form you have submitted for which this biometrics is being done. When these usual procedures are done, your fingerprints will be taken. The entire process of this biometrics appointment will not take much time and it may take longer if there are many others waiting to get their finger prints done.

The validity of this biometrics test is only for 15 months and if your application is not processed within that time, you will receive another notice for another fresh fingerprinting test.


What next after biometrics?

Fingerprints are usually taken on ink (transition to electronic means is underway) , so there are chance of it getting smudged or being not very clear. When these are sent to the FBI, which runs background checks, they will be rejected. You will be issued another notice within a week or so to appear for another test. You need not pay any additional fee for this. Even if the second set of prints is rejected by the FBI, you will be required to get a clearance certificate from the police in every state that you have resided in the past.


Common scenarios

Say for example, you have submitted your I-485 at the same time as your other family members. You have received a notice for biometrics, but they have not. It is possible for you to take your family with you at the time of your biometrics to the same ASC as yours and request fingerprinting to be done for them as well. This will be accepted by the USCIS at most of the times.

Another common instance would be requesting a reschedule of the biometrics. You may have already fixed an important work on the same day as the biometrics and it would be very essential for you to keep up that appointment. So in that case, you can send in a request in writing to the USCIS to change the date of the fingerprinting.

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Tags: instances, proof, validity, application form, venue, background check, 15 months, electronic gadgets, fingerprints, date time, surety, uscis, biometrics