Help for USCIS Delays

remedies for lockbox Receipt & Rejection Delays

Temporary remedies for Lockbox delays in issuing receipt or rejection notices:

As a result of COVID-19 restrictions, an increase in filings, current postal service volume, and other external factors, some applicants and petitioners experienced a delay in receiving receipt or rejection notices after filing a benefit request with a USCIS lockbox.

The following temporary flexibilities are effective for 60 days from June 10 until Aug. 9, 2021:

If you submitted a benefit request to a USCIS lockbox between Oct. 1, 2020, and April 1, 2021, and that request was rejected solely due to a filing fee payment that expired while the benefit request was awaiting processing, you may resubmit the request with a new fee payment. If USCIS agrees that the delay caused the benefit to be rejected, USCIS will deem the benefit request to have been received on the date the initial benefit request was received and waive the $30 dishonored check fee.

USCIS will allow applicants and petitioners to submit documentation with a benefit request resubmission that demonstrates that, because of the time that elapsed between when a benefit request was originally submitted to a USCIS lockbox and when USCIS rejected it, an applicant, co-applicant, beneficiary, or derivative has reached an age that makes them no longer eligible to file for the benefit requested. If request was awaiting processing, you may resubmit the request with a new fee payment. If USCIS agrees that the delayed rejection caused the person to be ineligible due to age, USCIS will accept the request and deem it to have been received on the date the initial benefit request was received. Note: This flexibility does not apply to Form N-600K, Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate Under Section 322.

Applicants and petitioners can contact USCIS if they think their benefit request was rejected in error. If USCIS agrees, we may allow them to resubmit an erroneously rejected benefit request and deem the benefit request to have been received on the date the initial benefit request was first received at a USCIS lockbox.

Additional information on these filing flexibilities, including how to request them, can be found online at USCIS Response to COVID-19

DeaDLINES EXTENDED FOR CERTAIN REQUESTS, NOTICES, & APPEALS

Flexibility if Responding to Certain USCIS Notices or Requests

USCIS is extending the flexibilities that it announced on March 30, 2020 to assist those responding to certain:

Requests for Evidence;
Continuations to Request Evidence (N-14);
Notices of Intent to Deny;
Notices of Intent to Revoke;
Notices of Intent to Rescind;
Notices of Intent to Terminate regional centers; and,
Motions to Reopen an N-400 Pursuant to 8 CFR 335.5, Receipt of Derogatory Information After Grant.

Flexibility For Filing a Notice of Appeal or a Request for a Hearing on a Naturalization Decision

USCIS will consider a Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion, or Form N-336, Request for a Hearing on a Decision in INA Section 336 Naturalization Proceeding if:

The form was filed up to 60 calendar days from the issuance of a decision we made; and
We made that decision anytime from March 1, 2020, through Sept. 30, 2021

Notice/Request/Decision Issuance Date:

This flexibility applies to the above documents if the issuance date listed on the request, notice or decision is between March 1, 2020, and Sept. 30, 2021, inclusive.

Response Due Date:

USCIS will consider a response to the above requests and notices received within 60 calendar days after the response due date set in the request or notice before taking any action. Additionally, we will consider a Form N-336 or Form I-290B received up to 60 calendar days from the date of the decision before we take any action.