What to Bring to Your USCIS Biometrics Appointment

What to bring to a USCIS biometrics appointment comes down to two items: your original Form I-797C appointment notice and a valid, unexpired photo ID. Show up without either and the Application Support Center staff can turn you away.¹

The Appointment Notice (Form I-797C)

Form I-797C, Notice of Action, is the letter USCIS mails after scheduling your biometrics. It lists your appointment date, time, ASC location, and the receipt number for your underlying case. Bring the original paper notice, not a photocopy or a phone screenshot.¹

If USCIS mailed you more than one biometrics notice because you have multiple pending applications, bring all of them. And do not visit an ASC before your notice arrives; walk-ins without a scheduled appointment won’t be processed.²

Valid Photo Identification

Your ID must be current. The USCIS Policy Manual lists these as acceptable:³

Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551), your green card
A passport from any country, as long as it is unexpired
A state-issued driver’s license with your photo

The Policy Manual also allows “other identity documentation as authorized by USCIS” without spelling out what qualifies. One published exception covers special immigrant juveniles who lack a government-issued photo ID: they may present a court order naming them as the subject, or official documentation from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.³

If Your Name Has Changed

USCIS cannot update your name or other personal information during the ASC appointment.¹ If your current ID shows a different name than your appointment notice because of marriage, divorce, or a court order, bring the underlying document (marriage certificate, decree, or court order) so staff can still verify you are the right person.

Bringing a Child

Children need the same paperwork as adults: their appointment notice and a photo ID such as a passport. A parent or legal guardian should come along and be prepared to help throughout the visit.

Children under 14 are not required to sign during the appointment, though they can sign if they are able. Otherwise, a parent or legal guardian may sign the application on the child’s behalf.¹

What Not to Bring

ASCs are federal facilities. Federal law prohibits weapons of any kind inside, including firearms, knives, pepper spray, and ammunition, regardless of any permit you hold. Violators face potential fines or imprisonment, and the building has no secure storage for prohibited items.² Check any bag, purse, or briefcase before you leave the car.

Photography and recording are not allowed inside a USCIS office, with the sole exception of naturalization ceremonies.⁴ Leave cameras and recording equipment behind.

Cell phones do not have to be off at the door, but keep them silenced in the waiting area and turned off entirely once you are called for processing.⁴

One Thing to Have Ready Before You Sign

At the end of the appointment you will sign a digital pad. That signature is an attestation, under penalty of perjury, that the information in your application and all supporting documents was complete, true, and correct at the time of filing. The form is titled “Acknowledgement of Appointment at USCIS Application Support Center” and appears in English and Spanish.¹

If you have discovered errors in your application since you filed it, address them with your attorney or through the proper USCIS channels before the appointment, rather than after signing under oath that everything was accurate.

If You Cannot Make the Appointment

Missing a biometrics appointment without rescheduling is one of the fastest ways to get a case denied. Under federal regulation, if USCIS requires you to appear and you do not, the benefit request is considered abandoned and denied, unless USCIS receives a rescheduling request or change of address by the appointment time.⁵

Reschedule through your USCIS online account before your original date and time. Online requests must be submitted at least 12 hours before the existing appointment, and you will need to give a reason. Do not mail a rescheduling request; USCIS will not accept it.²

If the online account is not working, call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833), or use the “Emma” virtual assistant on the USCIS website, before your appointment time passes.¹

After You Check In

When your fingerprints, photograph, and signature are collected, the technician stamps your Form I-797C. That stamped notice is your only physical proof that you attended and provided your biometrics. Keep it in a safe place for the full duration of your case in case any question ever arises about whether you completed this step.

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Preparing for Your Biometric Services Appointment
2
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Application Support Centers
3
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 1 Part C Chapter 2 – Biometrics Collection
4
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 1 Part A Chapter 8 – Conduct in USCIS Facilities
5
eCFR. 8 CFR 103.2 – Submission and Adjudication of Benefit Requests