USCIS Issued Recommendations to Avoid Scanning Delays of Paper Filings

On November 16, 2022  USCIS issued an alert suggesting attorneys and the public that began to scan and upload documents into electronic database systems when receiving immigration documents. Indeed, USCIS issued a series of recommendations for filings. Among the recommendations, USCIS recommended not to:

• Attach documents to another in any way, including hole punch, staple, paper clips, sticky notes,
  and others, or provide documents bound with binding spiral wire/plastic.
• Provide documents smaller than 4×6 inches as evidence. The exception is passport photos.
  (Photocopies of these evidentiary documents are accepted).
• Provide non-paper material such as musical greetings cards, cassette tapes, CDs/DVDs, toys, or
  thumb drives. (Photocopies of these evidentiary documents are accepted).
• Fold documents
• Use tab insertable dividers
• Print USCIS forms on colored paper
• Submit copies of documents
• Send original documents (birth certificates, marriage certificates, driver’s licenses, passports, naturalization certificates, among others) unless when required by form instructions for the application, petition or request you are filing. (If a form explicitly requires a copy, provide the same and mark it as a “COPY” at the top of each page to ensure it is processed as intended.

USCIS recommendations seek to improve the agency’s efficiency when receiving the paper version of applications, petitions, or requests daily.

At Garvish Immigration, we excel in becoming efficient in this electronic environment. Indeed, this year, our company went entirely paperless. Being paperless makes us more efficient in storing all our client’s cases in our secure client portal.

Check out our Going Green Committee to learn more about how we prioritize environmentally friendly work practices.