Your Biometrics Appointment Was Scheduled: What to Bring and Expect

If your biometrics appointment was just scheduled and you’re wondering what to do, the short version is this: bring the original Form I-797C notice and a valid photo ID to the Application Support Center at the exact date, time, and location printed on the notice, and if you can’t make it, reschedule through your myUSCIS account before the appointment time. Missing the appointment without notice can get your application denied as abandoned, so this step is worth taking seriously even though the visit itself is brief.

What to Bring

The appointment notice is the single most important item. Staff scan a barcode on the notice to pull up your case, so without it you may not get processed. Bring the original paper notice, not a photocopy or a phone screenshot.

You also need a valid, unexpired photo ID. USCIS accepts a permanent resident card, passport, or driver’s license, among other government-issued identification.¹ If your only ID is in a foreign language, bring a certified English translation along with the original.

If you don’t speak English comfortably, USCIS recommends bringing someone who can interpret for you. That person can be a family member, your attorney, or an accredited representative.¹

For most filings there is no fee due at the appointment. USCIS folded biometric services costs into the main application fee in its 2024 fee rule. Temporary Protected Status applications and filings handled through the Executive Office for Immigration Review still carry a separate $30 biometric services fee.²

What to Leave at Home

Federal law bans weapons of any kind from USCIS facilities. That includes firearms, knives, pepper spray, and ammunition. A concealed-carry permit does not change that. Violating the rule can result in fines or criminal charges.³ Check your bags before you leave home.

Photography and recording are also off-limits. No one may photograph or record inside a USCIS office except during naturalization ceremonies.⁴ Keep your phone pocketed or powered off once you enter.

What Happens Inside

The visit starts with a security screening. You walk through a metal detector, and bags go through an X-ray machine. A staff member then checks your appointment notice and ID, enters you into the system, and hands you a queuing number. You wait until your number is called.

At the workstation, a technician takes a high-resolution photograph of your face. That photo appears on any future immigration document such as a green card or employment authorization card. You sign your name on an electronic pad, and that signature will appear on issued documents too. Finally, you place your fingers on a glass scanner that captures digital prints of all ten fingers without ink. The technician walks you through the hand positioning.

The hands-on portion typically wraps up in about 15 to 20 minutes, though the wait beforehand can be longer. When it is finished, the technician stamps your Form I-797C to confirm biometrics were captured. Hold on to that stamped notice until your case has a final decision. It is your proof that you completed this step and can resolve disputes if a data transmission error occurs later.

If You Can’t Make the Scheduled Date

Under federal regulations, if you fail to appear and have not submitted a rescheduling request or a change of address by the appointment time, USCIS treats your application as abandoned and denies it.⁵ That means starting over with a new filing and a new fee.

To change the date, submit the request through your myUSCIS online account before the scheduled appointment time. USCIS does not accept rescheduling requests by mail or in person.⁶ If the online tool 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.¹

You need good cause. USCIS considers a medical emergency, a death in the family, or previously planned travel to be valid reasons.⁶ Submit your request as early as possible and include your receipt number and the details from your I-797C so the request links to the right file.

Showing Up Early Instead

The regulations explicitly permit you to appear before your scheduled date and time.⁵ If you know you have a conflict on the scheduled date, going to the Application Support Center on an earlier day is a legitimate option. Bring your appointment notice and ID just as you would for the original date. Individual ASC locations may have varying capacity, so earlier is not guaranteed to be faster.

If You Move

When USCIS receives a change of address before your appointment time, the agency reschedules your biometrics at a facility closer to your new location.⁶ Update your address through your online account, by filing Form AR-11, or by notifying the USCIS Contact Center. If you move but don’t tell USCIS and you don’t show up, the agency may treat your case as abandoned.

If You’ll Be Abroad

Leaving the country does not by itself abandon your application, but missing the appointment without notice does. If travel plans conflict with your biometrics date, request a reschedule through your online account before the appointment. The travel is fine; the silent no-show is what triggers a denial.

Accommodations You Can Request

Religious Head Coverings

You can wear a hijab, turban, or other religious headwear during the photograph as long as your full face is visible and the covering does not cast a shadow across your face. USCIS may ask you to adjust the headwear if it partially obscures your features. If adjustment is needed, the facility will offer a private room or screened area when one is available, and you can request a photographer of the same gender.⁷ If the facility cannot provide those accommodations on the spot, USCIS will reschedule you at a location that can. The photograph requirement itself will not be waived.

Children Under 14

Federal immigration law generally requires fingerprinting only for individuals 14 and older.⁸ Children under 14 in a family filing still need to appear for a photograph but typically skip the fingerprint scanner. A parent or legal guardian should accompany the child with the child’s appointment notice and any available photo ID.

Physical Disabilities

If a medical condition prevents clear fingerprints, bring documentation from your doctor explaining the situation. USCIS will still attempt the scan. When prints cannot be captured after repeated tries, the agency notes the issue in your file and moves the case forward using other available identification data.

After the Appointment

Your fingerprints are transmitted electronically to the FBI, which runs them through its Next Generation Identification system.⁹ The screening checks for criminal history, prior immigration violations, and national security flags. Most results come back within a few weeks, though complex cases can take longer.

Track your case by entering the receipt number from your I-797C into the case status tool on the USCIS website. Once the background check clears, your case typically moves to the next step, which for many applications is a formal interview. If the check turns up something that needs explanation, USCIS may send a Request for Evidence asking for additional documentation.

Fingerprint results are valid for 15 months from the date the FBI processes them.¹⁰ If your case is still pending when that window closes, USCIS will schedule a new biometrics appointment. This is not unusual for applications with long processing times. Treat a second notice with the same urgency as the first.

Photographs follow a separate timeline. For most application types, USCIS can reuse a previously captured photo for up to 36 months. Naturalization applications (Form N-400), adjustment of status filings (Form I-485), green card renewals (Form I-90), and citizenship certificate applications (Form N-600) always require a fresh photograph.⁶

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Preparing for Your Biometric Services Appointment
2
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Frequently Asked Questions on the USCIS Fee Rule
3
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Application Support Centers
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
6
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 1 Part C Chapter 2 – Biometrics Collection
7
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy for Accommodating Religious Beliefs during Photograph and Fingerprint Capture
8
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Alien Registration Requirement
9
Federal Bureau of Investigation. NGI Officially Replaces IAFIS
10
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 12 Part B Chapter 2 – Background and Security Checks