Four Ways to Contact USCIS and How to Use Them

[Update] USCIS announced on 2021/07/28 that to change a biometrics appointment, one must call 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833). The office previously located in Alexandria, VA, responsible for handling biometrics appointments, has closed and will no longer accept appointment changes by email.

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Recently, many readers have told this site that their previously filed extension applications have not yet been approved and they now see no way to leave on time. According to reader feedback, it is possible to amend the requested period (for example, if the original extension was requested until September 1 and they have now bought a ticket for November 1, they need to change the extension request to November 10), but they do not know how to contact USCIS, so they came here to ask.

There are four common ways to contact USCIS: (1) if you have registered a USCIS online account, you can use “send us a message” in the account; (2) call USCIS customer service; (3) mail a letter to USCIS; (4) schedule an Infopass appointment on the USCIS website, but this option has recently been suspended.

Calling USCIS Customer Service

[https://gonglue.us/77855]

Mailing a Letter to USCIS

The I-797 form USCIS sent you lists the processing center and contact address. Different applications have different mailing addresses.

Contacting USCIS Through Your Online Account

• 2021/07/29 update: A reader reported that he had applied for an extension for his current application, could see this option, and successfully used it to contact USCIS. He sent me a screenshot, and the options were completely different from what I saw when I logged in. My account has no pending applications, so I guess that accounts with pending applications can see the 'send us a message' option after logging in, while accounts without pending applications do not have this option.

• Update of 2021/02/13: This option is no longer available in USCIS accounts.

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So far, I have not seen any reader with firsthand experience answer this question. I do not have a pending application on hand and cannot verify it, but after I tried logging into the USCIS official website account, there is a 'Send us a message' option under 'Resources,' which I believe is the official way to contact USCIS within the online account. Click to open it; for 'Who is requesting this information?' if your extension application is unprocessed and you need to extend the deadline, select 'Applicant/Petitioner' and enter your name, case number, and other information as prompted.

For 'I need help with,' it is recommended to select 'filing an application online'; for 'Form filed,' select 'I-539'; enter your information in the text box below; for B1/B2 changing the extension deadline, you can refer to my explanation:

My original I-539 application requested an extension of my B2 status until August 15, 2020, and that application has not been processed. Due to the pandemic and the very limited number of flights available between the United States and China, I have not been able to get a flight ticket to China. I now respectfully request to extend my legal status until December 1, 2020, or for the maximum length allowed by the current USCIS policy. Your help is much appreciated.

[Suspended] Scheduling an Infopass Appointment

According to the USCIS website, Infopass appointments within the United States have been suspended.