A new USCIS service center, the sixth in the Service Center Operations (SCOPS) directorate, is now open, as announced by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The Humanitarian, Adjustment, Removing Conditions, and Travel Documents (HART) Service center focuses on humanitarian and workload cases. With a dedicated workforce to focus on supporting a cohesive and consistent adjudication process, the center is meant to improve the efficiency and quality of processing for qualified case types.

The opening of the HART USCIS service center is a response to a review of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and processing times for humanitarian petitioners. For now, HART will be a hybrid service site. Virtual adjudication and coordination with other service centers for some administrative support will be available. Going forward, HART will be a 100% virtual service center able to interact across multiple time zones with no geographic limitations.

The center will process paper-based and digital applications and petitions, in partnership with other service centers that support in-person requirements. Initially, HART will offer the following:

  • VAWA-based Form I-360
  • Refugee/Asylee Relative Petitions, form I-730
  • Bona Fide Determination (BFD), Form I-918, U Nonimmigrant Status Petition
  • Application for Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver, Form I-601A

Currently, HART is estimated to be staffed at 30%, with 150 positions. Additional efforts are underway to reach a full staff of 480 trained individuals, estimated to be completed by the end of FY2024.

There are no changes to existing customer service channels at this time. This includes the mailing address for VAWA-based Form I-360 and Form I-918 BFD, interactions from attorneys and other accredited representatives or unrepresented petitioners and applicants. Similarly, there are no changes to filing instructions.

If you have questions about the HART center or any other immigration-related issue, contact us at ILBSG. We actively monitor ongoing updates to ensure our clients get the right advice. Our team of attorneys has extensive experience and insight into the U.S. immigration process.

HART center USCIS Processing Center USCIS service center USCIS virtual processing