Biometrics

The Biometrics Appointment (Fingerprinting)

Within a few weeks of filing your adjustment of status application, you should receive a Notice of Receipt, Form I-797C, which is your proof that you have begun the green card process. A few weeks after that, you will receive another Form I-797C from the USCIS, an appointment letter to come into the Application Support Center (ASC) to have your fingerprints and a digital photograph taken. Please keep all copies of documents you receive from the immigration service safely in a folder or large envelope, as they are important proof of your progress through the process.

Our local ASC is located in the USCIS Honolulu District Office, which is in the shopping and office complex known as Restaurant Row. The address is 500 Ala Moana Boulevard, between Punchbowl and South Streets and directions are here. The ASC is located in Restaurant Row Building 2, on the fourth floor.

There is often parking on the streets nearby. If not, you may need to park in the Restaurant Row parking lot. Unfortunately, the USCIS does not validate for parking.

The USCIS typically schedules biometrics appointments in Hawaii between six to eight weeks after the date of filing. Although the USCIS will allow applicants to change a scheduled appointment if needed, we recommend that you avoid rescheduling as it could be several weeks before another available appointment date comes open, and this will delay the scheduling of your adjustment interview.

Procedure:

The biometrics appointment is a relatively simple process that should take roughly fifteen minutes. Security at the Application Support Center is similar to what you would expect at an airport — to enter, you will have to pass through a metal detector and present your ASC Appointment Notice and photo identification to a security officer. Acceptable photo identification includes a passport or national photo identification issued by your country, a driver’s license, a military photo identification, or a state-issued photo identification card. Security will not allow you to enter the ASC more than fifteen minutes before your scheduled appointment.

Once you enter the ASC, you will be asked to complete an Applicant Information Worksheet. To complete this, you will need to find your Alien Number and Application Receipt numbers, which are on your Appointment Notice. After turning in the completed Worksheet to the clerk, they will call your name when they are ready to take your picture and fingerprints. Your fingerprints are then electronically submitted to the FBI for use in criminal background checks. The photos are sent to your file to be used in creating your Employment Authorization Document, and Advance Parole Document if requested.

Once your fingerprints and photo are complete, the technician or clerk will stamp your appointment letter with a red stamp indicating the time and date of completion. We would like to have a copy of this for your file, so we may have evidence of compliance if needed at some later point in the process. You can mail the original to us, or if you prefer, scan it and email it.

That’s all there is to it. Once the fingerprints have been checked the USCIS will schedule your interview.