Courtesy Notice from USCIS Lawrence Field Office
This afternoon, I received a Courtesy Notice from the USCIS Lawrence Field Office advising me that an interview is required to complete the adjudication of a marriage-based green card application that I prepared.
Although the interview requirement is less common these days, the courtesy notice is something completely new to me!
USCIS Policy Manual – Interview Guidelines
Pursuant to Chapter 5 of the USCIS Policy Manual (here), “[a]ll adjustment of status applicants must be interviewed by an officer unless the interview is waived by USCIS. The decision to waive the interview should be made on a case-by-case basis.”
Previous Process
Previously, the USCIS sent a Case Status Information email with the following template information:
Case Status: Testing and Interview
On [date], we scheduled an interview for your Form I485, APPLICATION TO REGISTER PERMANENT RESIDENCE OR ADJUST STATUS, Receipt Number [receipt number]. We will mail you an interview notice. Please follow any instructions in the notice. If you move, go to www.uscis.gov/addresschange to give us your new mailing address.
The USCIS’ Case Status Information email was then followed by the production of a Form I-797C, Notice of Action with the title, “REQUEST FOR APPLICANT TO APPEAR FOR AN INITIAL INTERVIEW.”
The Form I-797C, Notice of Action, was generally produced on/around the date that the Case Status Information email was generated and an interview date set within 30-45 days.
New Process
It appears that the USCIS Lawrence Field Office is initiating a new, and additional, process, whereby they mail out a “Courtesy Notice” to advise applicants that an interview is required to complete adjudication of their case.
Contents of Notice
The new USCIS courtesy notice contains the following information and instructions:
Upon review of your Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, it has been determined that an interview is required to complete the adjudication of your case. You will receive a separate notice in the mail advising you of the time and date of your interview.
Please make sure that USCIS has your most recent address on file.
To avoid further delay in the processing of your case, please bring the following with you to your interview*:
Form 1-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record
If you have not already submitted Form I-693, or if USCIS issued you a courtesy notice advising you that your Form 1-693 is deficient, please bring an original, sealed Form 1-693 completed by a civil surgeon to your interview.
- Form Information: https://www.uscis.gov/i-693
- Civil Surgeon Locator: https://www.uscis.gov/tools/find-a-civil-surgeon
Bona fides of Marital Union
If you filed your Form 1-485 as the beneficiary of Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, filed on your behalf by your U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident spouse, please bring evidence of your marital relationship to your interview.
USCIS will retain all evidence you submit at your interview. You are responsible for providing legible copies of your evidence for USCIS. All foreign-language documents must be accompanied by an English translation.
The evidence you submit will be scanned into the Electronic Immigration System (ELIS). Please make sure all copies are complete, clear, printed on standard 8.5 x 11 inch paper. PLEASE DO NOT STAPLE YOUR DOCUMENTS.
Examples of bona tides of marital union include but are not limited to:
- IRS Tax Return Transcripts covering the span of your marriage
- Lease or mortgage documents
- Complete joint bank account records
- Joint utility/phone/household bills in both names
- Proof of joint insurance ( ex. health/life/car insurance)
- Proof of car ownership or evidence that you are financing a vehicle.
- Evidence of correspondence between you and the beneficiary over the length of your relationship
- Photos showing your relationship over time (No Photo Albums)
- Sworn affidavits from people who have personal knowledge of your relationship. Please note that affidavits must be detailed, contain the contact information of the individual submitting the affidavit on your behalf, and be supported by evidence
Certified Final Court Dispositions
You must submit certified police and court records for any criminal charges, arrests, or convictions you may have.
In general, you do not need to submit documentation relating to traffic fines and incidents that did not involve an actual physical arrest if the penalty was only a fine of less than $500 or points on your driver’s license. However, you must submit such documentation if the traffic incident resulted in criminal charges or involved alcohol, drugs, or injury to a person or property.
If you were EVER arrested or detained by a law enforcement officer for any reason anywhere in the world, including the United States, and no criminal charges were filed, you must submit:
- An original or certified copy of the complete arrest report; and
- Either an official statement by the arresting or detaining agency or prosecutor’s office OR an applicable court order that indicates the final disposition of your arrest or detention;
If you were EVER charged for any reason (even if you were not arrested) anywhere in the world, including the United States, you must submit:
- An original or certified copy of the complete arrest report; and
- Certified copies of BOTH the indictment, information, or other formal charging document AND the final disposition of each charge (for example, a dismissal order or acquittal order);
If you were EVER convicted or placed in an alternative sentencing or rehabilitative program (such as probation, drug treatment, deferred adjudication, or community service program) anywhere in the world, including the United States, you must submit:
- An original or certified copy of the complete arrest report;
- Certified copies of the following: the indictment, information, or other formal charging document; any plea agreement, whether in the form of a court filing or recording in a hearing transcript; and the final disposition for each incident (for example, conviction record, deferred adjudication order, probation order); and
- Either an original or certified copy of your probation or parole record showing that you completed the mandated sentence, conditions set for the deferred adjudication, or rehabilitative program OR documentation showing that you completed the alternative sentencing or rehabilitative program; or
If you EVER had any arrest or conviction vacated, set aside, sealed, expunged, or otherwise removed from your record anywhere in the world, you must submit:
- An original or certified copy of the complete arrest report; the indictment, information, or other formal charging document; any plea agreement, whether in the form of a court filing or recording in a hearing transcript; and the final disposition for each incident (for example, conviction record, deferred adjudication order, probation order); and
- A certified copy of the court order vacating, setting aside, sealing, expunging, or otherwise removing the arrest or conviction.
Interesting Fact
The “Courtesy Notice” came weeks after the Form I-797C, Notice of Action.
Immigration Interview Questions for Marriage-Based Case
If you have immigration interview questions regarding a marriage-based case, or would like to be represented at an upcoming green card interview at the USCIS Lawrence Field Office, contact marriage green card lawyer, Dayna Lally, at [email protected]. Consultation fees may apply.
Disclaimer: This blog article is provided by Lally Immigration Services, LLC for informational and marketing purposes. This article does not constitute legal advice, nor does it establish an attorney-client relationship. No reader should act, or refrain from acting, on the basis of any information presented in this article, or elsewhere on this website, without seeking the advice of appropriate legal counsel, or other professional counsel, licensed in the relevant jurisdiction. Lally Immigration Services, LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability with respect to any actions taken, or not taken, based on any content of this article or website. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Last Reviewed/Updated: 02/06/2024
