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Sept. 25, 2024 By Shane O’Brien
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is set to move its Queens Field Office to Long Island City next month.
The last day of operations for USCIS’s current Queens Field Office at the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building, located at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan, is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 27.
USCIS said it will begin accepting a limited number of pre-scheduled appointments at the new office location at 31-00 47th Ave. in Long Island City starting Oct. 9 and estimates that the office will be running at full capacity by the end of the month.
USCIS field offices conduct interviews for lawful permanent residency (Green Card) and naturalization and handle appointments for case-specific issues that require in-person help.
Field offices do not allow walk-ins, and appointments are required for every interview and case-specific query. Members of the public in need of emergency immigration services or an appointment can submit an online appointment request form or contact the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283.
The relocation of USCIS’ Queens Field Office to Long Island City coincides with the Queens Public Library initiative offering free citizenship classes and mock citizenship interviews.
The free virtual citizenship classes will take place every Monday at 6 p.m. from Sept. 30 until Dec. 16, with a break on Oct. 14 for Columbus Day and on Nov. 11 for Veterans Day.
The course, which includes 10 free sessions, will educate immigrants about American history, government, and culture before their citizenship exams.
Meanwhile, QPL’s free citizenship mock interviews launched on Sept. 12 and will take place every Thursday at 4:30 p.m. until June 26 next year. There will be no mock interview sessions on Thanksgiving on Nov. 28, Boxing Day on Dec. 26, or Juneteenth on June 19.
The initiative allows immigrants to avail of a virtual one-on-one practice interview to test their speaking, reading, and writing skills and their knowledge of the United States government and history. The online interview will be led by a volunteer and will give participants a good idea of what typically occurs during the USCIS Naturalization Interview and Test.
QPL also held a free virtual Immigration & Citizenship Legal Clinic on Wednesday, Sept. 11, enabling immigrants to obtain free aid with citizenship applications, Green Card renewals, requesting immigration files, work permit renewals, and other issues.
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