On August 28, 2017, USCIS issued a press release announcing that they would soon phase in a mandatory interview requirement for all adjustment-of-status (“green card”) applicants whose USCIS Forms I-485 are based upon employment-based immigrant petitions.
For over a decade, USCIS waived the interview requirement for most employment-based adjustment-of-status applicants. The agency interviewed only those Form I-485 applicants where additional information was required. Waiving mandatory interviews led to faster processing of all immigration applications, since interviews take up valuable agency time. USCIS has not intimated when they will phase in the interviews, but their press release indicated that interviews could start as soon as October 1, 2017.
Jackson & Hertogs attorneys are following this development and will provide updates as needed.
