April 5, 2024 Immigration Advisory (2024)

FAQs

How do I get my immigration questions answered? ›

You may request an appointment online or you may call the Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833, VRS 877-709-5797). Depending on your situation, you may not need to visit an office in person if you need proof of your immigration status or have been issued permanent residence through an Immigration Judge.

The civics test is an oral test and the USCIS Officer will ask the applicant up to 10 of the 100 civics questions. An applicant must answer 6 out of 10 questions correctly to pass the civics portion of the naturalization test. On the naturalization test, some answers may change because of elections or appointments.

You have the right to remain silent and do not have to discuss your immigration or citizenship status with police, immigration agents or any other officials. You do not have to answer questions about where you were born, whether you are a U.S. citizen, or how you entered the country.

In February 2024, USCIS announced it had reduced its case backlog for the first time in over a decade. The overall backlog decreased by 15%, processing nearly 11 million case filings and completing 10 million cases.

There are 100 civics questions on the naturalization test. During your naturalization interview, you will be asked up to 10 questions from the list of 100 questions. You must answer correctly 6 of the 10 questions to pass the civics test.

Learn the facts and find legal help at www.uscis.gov/avoidscams or by calling USCIS at 1-800-375-5283. You can always communicate with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) about your case.

Bill Bliss, a civic educator from Massachusetts, highlights that the new test focuses more on test-taking skills than actual civics knowledge. It introduces plausible distractors to complicate the process, making it more challenging to prepare for and likely measuring test-taking skill as much as civics knowledge.

The diagram below shows that 95.7% of all applicants pass the naturalization test. In fiscal year 2022, over 88% passed it during the initial interview, and another 7% of all applicants passed during a re-exam.

During the interview, immigrants answered 29 questions about their identity, including their race, physical health, and how much money they carried with them. Step 4: Leave Ellis Island. Most immigrants at Ellis Island were free to go within a few hours of their arrival.

Do not go off on tangents or tell your life story. Only answer the question that is being asked and do not provide more details than necessary. Remember, the immigration officer is doing many interviews a day, and you do not want to annoy them.

What happens if you don't answer immigration questions? ›

Refusal to answer other questions will likely cause delay, but officials may not deny you entry into the United States for failure to answer other questions. If you are a non-citizen visa holder, you may be denied entry into the U.S. if you refuse to answer officers' questions.

You have the constitutional right to remain silent. In general, you do not have to talk to law enforcement officers (or anyone else), even if you do not feel free to walk away from the officer, you are arrested, or you are in jail. You cannot be punished for refusing to answer a question.

The filing fee for Form I-130 increased to $675 in 2024, and it currently takes about 12 months to be approved. Note that filing and getting an I-130 approved doesn't give you an immigration status. It is just the first step in the process of applying for a green card.

In 2022, the average length of time to adjudicate an asylum claim in a U.S. immigration court was three years. At the start of 2024, the average is five.

The fiscal year 2024 limit for family-sponsored preference immigrants determined in accordance with Section 201 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) is 226,000. The worldwide level for annual employment-based preference immigrants is at least 140,000.

Call the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283.

USCIS Contact Center

The toll-free phone number for the USCIS Contact Center is 1-800-375-5283 (TTY for the deaf, hard of hearing, or person with a speech disability: 1-800-767-1833).

If you have an inquiry that cannot be resolved through our self-help tools, you may call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833).

If you have a question about processing, please visit www.uscis.gov or call Customer Service at 1-800-375-5283 (TTY: 1-800-767- 1833). If you have a complaint about the way that a USCIS employee treated you, you should speak with that employee's direct supervisor if possible.