U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requires all adjustment of status applicants to be interviewed by an immigration officer unless the interview is waived. USCIS typically grants interview waivers in Employment-Eased adjustment of status, but recent news indicates that may soon change, expanding interview waiver eligibility to qualifying Family-Based applicants.

USCIS has informed the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) that USCIS is extending the interview waiver to some Family-Based adjustment of status cases. There is currently no definite way to determine which Family-Based cases may warrant a waiver of interviews. However, USCIS confirms the interview waiver may occur at several points in the adjudication process. As such, it is strongly recommended that family-based green card applicants file their application along with a completed and signed Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination, and Vaccination Record. Doing so will accelerate the process if USCIS decides to waive the applicant’s interview. Failure to include a medical exam with the initial green card application may prompt USCIS to request the medical exam in a separately issued Request for Evidence (RFE), effectively slowing down the adjustment process.

The best approach is always to be prepared, and ensure all documents are filed together whenever possible. Make it easy for USCIS to find all the information they may need during adjudication.

ILBSG continues to monitor ongoing policy and practice updates for all your immigration needs. If you have questions regarding your Family-Based immigration petition or any other immigration-related issue, please reach out to an ILBSG attorney today. We are here to help.

Family-based interview waiver Family Based Visa interview waiver