United States biometrics
A biometrics appointment is when the applicant attends a special office to have their fingerprints, photograph and signature taken for a visa or immigration case. This helps confirm the applicant’s identity and carry out background checks.
The United States government has removed the biometrics fee for most immigration cases.
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Preparing for a biometrics appointment
The biometrics appointment is usually the first milestone occurring after the applicant has filed a visa application. Applicants may even receive the initial appointment notice before receiving confirmation fromUnited States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)that their application package has been processed. The actual appointment, however, is usually scheduled about 5-8 weeks after the filing date.
There are a few things to bear in mind when preparing for a biometrics appointment.
First, only the family member applying for the visa needs to attend the appointment; the sponsor is not required to accompany them, although they may.
Second, it is important to bring the following documents:
- Photographic identification, such as a passport or driving licence
- The notice received from USCIS advising of the time and place of the biometrics appointment
- Any other receipt notices received from USCIS
- Any other documents USCIS specifically requested on the appointment notice (usually any work permit or travel document previously issued to the applicant)
Applicants should NOT bring weapons of any kind to the appointment, and should not bring food, electronic devices or cameras into the fingerprinting area.
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What to note at a biometrics appointment
The biometrics appointment is intended to make sure the person applying for agreen cardhas no serious criminal record or any relevant previous immigration violations.
Where will the appointment take place?
Applicants who are in the United States will attend a biometrics appointment at their local USCIS office relatively early in the green card process.
Applicants abroad will attend a biometrics appointment at the United States consulate processing their visa case, usually after the green card interview has been scheduled.
What happens at the appointment?
This is a straightforward visit, at which the family member applying for a green card or other visa will have their fingerprints and photograph taken, and will be asked to sign. The aim is to check the fingerprints, photograph and signature against the FBI’s criminal databases, as well as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) databases of non-citizens with immigration violations (such as unlawful border crossings).
Applicants will not have blood taken, nor will there be any DNA testing as part of a biometrics appointment for a green card. There are some cases in which applicants may be asked to provide a DNA sample — usually where the visa application is based on a blood relationship (parent/child or siblings) and there is ambiguity about that relationship. The purpose of DNA testing, where USCIS requests it, is entirely different from the purpose of a biometrics appointment.
How long does a biometrics appointment take?
The whole process usually takes 15-20 minutes, although applicants may have to wait beforehand. There is no interview at a biometrics appointment, and those taking the fingerprints and photograph have no information about the applicant’s case, so this is not the place to ask questions. Those taking the fingerprints are often not even USCIS employees, but work for separate contractors and do not necessarily know anything about the immigration process.
Registering biometrics for a United States immigration case in Vietnam
For Vietnamese applicants filing a United States immigrant visa case throughconsular processing, biometrics are taken at the United States Visa Application Center (VAC) operated by the official partner of the United States Embassy and Consulate General in Vietnam.
Applicants will have their fingerprints and biometric photograph taken at the VAC before the visa interview at the United States Embassy (Hanoi) or the United States Consulate General (Ho Chi Minh City). The VAC appointment is usually booked 1 to 2 days before the interview appointment. Applicants need to bring a valid passport, the appointment confirmation letter, and the confirmation page of Form DS-260 or DS-160.
VAC addresses in Vietnam:
- Hanoi: 3rd Floor, Gelex Building, 52 Le Dai Hanh, Le Dai Hanh Ward, Hai Ba Trung District
- Ho Chi Minh City: 4th Floor, Resco Building, 94-96 Nguyen Du, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1
Official appointment booking links:
- The United States visa appointment system in Vietnam:https://www.ustraveldocs.com/vn
- The United States Embassy in Vietnam information page:https://vn.usembassy.gov
Applicants are not permitted to attend the VAC on their own initiative without a confirmed appointment through the ustraveldocs system.
Frequently asked questions about biometrics
Although applicants may be called to a second biometrics appointment, this does not usually signal any wrongdoing on the applicant’s part, or indicate that the case will be refused. Below are two common reasons why applicants are asked to attend a second biometrics appointment:
- The fingerprints were smudged or unusable. Where this happens, or where there is any other fault making the fingerprints, photograph or signature the applicant provided unusable, the applicant will have to attend a second biometrics appointment.
- The biometrics expire before the case is processed. Biometrics and the associated background checks are valid for 15 months. Where USCIS takes longer than that to process a green card case, the applicant will have to give biometrics a second time.
Do not underestimate the importance of the biometrics appointment: USCIS will refuse a green card case where the applicant misses it without rescheduling beforehand.
But with planning ahead, the biometrics appointment will be a quick and easy step towards obtaining a green card.
Applicants may reschedule a biometrics appointment, but it is usually not a good idea to do so unless truly necessary — and rescheduling twice is certainly to be avoided. A green card case will not be refused simply because the applicant requested a rescheduled biometrics appointment, but it will be refused where the applicant does not have their fingerprints and photograph taken in time.
Where something urgent arises unexpectedly, applicants may call the USCIS Contact Center on 1-800-375-5283 to request a rescheduled biometrics appointment. Make sure to do this before the date and time of the original appointment. Where applicants do not reschedule and do not attend the original appointment, USCIS may refuse the case.
In general, where an applicant has a criminal record, they should obtain legal assistance with the green card process. An attorney will help make sure the applicant declares their criminal record in the appropriate sections of the application.
USCIS’s main aim in checking photographs and fingerprints against FBI databases is not necessarily to refuse all green card cases for everyone with a criminal record, but to make sure applicants have declared their criminal records accurately.
That said, certain types of criminal record may make an applicant ineligible for a green card.
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