Updates on Office Opening Status of US Immigration during Covid-19 Pandemic
USCIS June 3 reopening !!
USCIS announced their front offices, where public interviews are held will reopen June 3.
Their back offices had continued “business as usual” basically throughout the quarantine. So many of VisaCoach’s adjustment of status and removal of conditions applications, are getting their interviews waived and getting conditional and permanent green cards in the mail. Those that require interviews, including those applying for US Citizenship where interviews are always mandatory will start to be processed after the offices reopen and allow in-person with public meetings, such as interviews and info pass appointments starting on June 3 2020
As many applicants have held off submitting applications to USCIS, due to waiting to take a final overseas trip before applying, USCIS appears to be currently less busy enjoying lighter than usual case load. I expect that new applications submitted prior to worldwide lifting of travel restrictions will enjoy faster USCIS processing. Once travel resumes, expect a large influx of new cases, as those who have been on travel-hold send in their paper work. So at that time processing times will probably stretch and slow considerably, at least until that wave of cases are handled.
USCIS: Back offices open, Front offices scheduled to reopen on June 3
https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/uscis-response-covid-19 https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/uscis-office-closings
NVC (National Visa Center)
Their operations have always been “back office”. So they have continued their work without pause. However, due to the consulates being closed to interviews, NVC instead of routinely notifying applicants that their cases have been forwarded overseas, are now holding these cases at NVC, awaiting the consulates to resume their normal operations.
NVC (National Visa Center) Back Offices open
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/suspension-of-routine-visa-services.html
Internal Revenue Service
Front offices are closed to the public. Back offices are busy attending to payments for the stimulus payments. Processing requests for Tax Return Transcripts has been temporarily halted
IRS (Internal Revenue Service) Back offices open, overwhelmed by processing Stimulus payments
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/workforce/2020/04/irs-tells-initial-wave-of-10k-employees-to-return-to-office-monday-bring-own-ppe/
Social Security
Offices are closed to the public. Service to issue new Social Security Numbers, either in-person, or from online have been halted
Social Security Administration
https://www.ssa.gov/agency/emergency/
US Consulates
Most US Consulates worldwide halted in-person interviews around March 20 and have a two month backlog of cancelled visa interviews. Today there is a month’s worth of interviews already backed up. Gradually, as host countries suspend their local quarantines the consulates plan to reopen.
Afghanistan
- https://af.usembassy.gov/visas/
- https://af.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/
- https://af.usembassy.gov/
Albania
- https://al.usembassy.gov/visas/
- https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-al/niv
- https://al.usembassy.gov/updates_covid19/
Brazil ( as of June 2, Visa Section is (re-) scheduling postponed interview appointments !!)
- https://br.usembassy.gov/visas/
- https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-br/niv
- https://br.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/
Cambodia
- https://kh.usembassy.gov/visas/
- https://kh.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/
- https://kh.usembassy.gov/
Canada
- https://ca.usembassy.gov/visas/
- https://ca.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information-canada/
- https://ca.usembassy.gov/message-to-u-s-citizens-in-canada-summary-of-covid-19-situation-in-canada-april-15-2020/
China
- https://china.usembassy-china.org.cn/visas/
- https://china.usembassy-china.org.cn/covid-19-information/?_ga=2.130044232.617827503.1585277318-874880688.1585277318
- https://china.usembassy-china.org.cn/
Colombia
- https://co.usembassy.gov/visas/
- https://co.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/
- https://co.usembassy.gov/
Cuba
- https://cu.usembassy.gov/visas/
- https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-gy/niv
- https://cu.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/
Czech Republic
- https://cz.usembassy.gov/visas/
- https://cz.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/
- https://step.state.gov/step/
Dominican Republic
- https://do.usembassy.gov/visas/
- https://do.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/covid-19-information/
- https://do.usembassy.gov/
Ecuador
- https://ec.usembassy.gov/visas/
- https://ec.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information-ecu-2/
- https://ec.usembassy.gov/
Ethiopia
- https://et.usembassy.gov/visas/
- https://et.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/
- https://et.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/188/EPHI-042720.pdf
Fiji
- https://fj.usembassy.gov/visas/
- https://fj.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/covid-19-information/
- http://www.health.gov.fj/
Ghana
- https://gh.usembassy.gov/visas/
- https://gh.usembassy.gov/ghana-covid-19-information/
- https://gh.usembassy.gov/
Hong Kong
- https://hk.usconsulate.gov/
- https://hk.usconsulate.gov/covid-19-information/
- https://hk.usconsulate.gov/visas/
- India
- https://in.usembassy.gov/
- https://in.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/
- https://in.usembassy.gov/visas-02062020/
Indonesia
- https://id.usembassy.gov/visas/
- https://id.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/covid-19-information/
- https://id.usembassy.gov/
Iran
- https://ir.usembassy.gov/visas/
- https://ir.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/
- https://ir.usembassy.gov/
Jamaica
- https://jm.usembassy.gov/
- https://jm.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information-jamaica/
- https://jm.usembassy.gov/visas/
Japan
https://jp.usembassy.gov/visas/
https://jp.usembassy.gov/suspension-of-routine-visa-and-notarial-services/
https://jp.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/
Kenya
- https://ke.usembassy.gov/visas/
- https://ke.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/
- https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas.html
Korea
Laos
- https://la.usembassy.gov/visas/
- https://la.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/
- https://la.usembassy.gov/
Mexico
- https://mx.usembassy.gov/visas/
- https://mx.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/
- https://mx.usembassy.gov/
Morocco
Nepal
- https://np.usembassy.gov/visas/
- https://np.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/
- https://np.usembassy.gov/
Nigeria
- https://ng.usembassy.gov/visas/
- https://ng.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/covid-19-information/
- https://ng.usembassy.gov/
Oman
- https://om.usembassy.gov/visas/
- https://om.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/
- https://www.ustraveldocs.com/om/
Peru
- https://pe.usembassy.gov/visas/
- https://pe.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/
- https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-pe/niv
Philippines
US consulate plans to Reopen for Interviews: July 30
- https://ph.usembassy.gov/visas/
- https://ph.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/
- https://www.doh.gov.ph/2019-nCov/#_blank
Spain
- https://es.usembassy.gov/visas/
- https://es.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/
- https://es.usembassy.gov/visas/
Switzerland
- https://ch.usembassy.gov/visas/
- https://ch.usembassy.gov/covid-19-info/
- https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/proclamation-suspension-entry-immigrants-nonimmigrants-persons-pose-risk-transmitting-2019-novel-coronavirus/
- https://www.dhs.gov/news-releases
- http://cdn.ustraveldocs.com/ch/ch-niv-expeditedappointment.asp
Thailand
- https://th.usembassy.gov/visas/
- https://th.usembassy.gov/information-for-visa-applicants-regarding-novel-coronavirus/
- https://th.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/
Tunisia
Ukraine
- https://ua.usembassy.gov/visas/
- https://ua.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/
- https://ua.usembassy.gov/
United Kingdom
- https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/
- https://uk.usembassy.gov/covid-19-coronavirus-information/
- https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/proclamation-suspending-entry-immigrants-present-risk-u-s-labor-market-economic-recovery-following-covid-19-outbreak/
- https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/proclamation-suspension-entry-immigrants-nonimmigrants-certain-additional-persons-pose-risk-transmitting-coronavirus-2/
Uruguay
- https://uy.usembassy.gov/visas/
- https://uy.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/
- https://uy.usembassy.gov/
Vietnam (Reopening June 29 for interviews, first priority is to clear March/April/May backlog of Spouse (CR1, IR1) and Dependent Child (CR2, IR2) Visa interviews)
