Biometrics, Bring Notice and ID, Reschedule 12 Hours Ahead
For your biometrics at a USCIS Application Support Center (ASC), bring your appointment notice (Form I-797C, and all of them if you got more than one) and a valid photo ID, such as your green card, passport or driver’s license. To reschedule, use your USCIS online account before the original appointment, at least 12 hours ahead, with good cause; don’t mail your request.
USCIS says that if you miss the appointment without rescheduling or good cause, it may consider your application abandoned and deny it. This article follows USCIS’s guidance: what to bring, how to reschedule, what happens at the appointment and what to do if you don’t speak English.
What to bring
USCIS explains (USCIS preparing for your biometric services appointment):
- Appointment notice: your ASC appointment notice (Form I-797C); if you got more than one, bring them all.
- Photo ID: valid photo identification, such as your green card, passport or driver’s license.
- No need for your lawyer: your attorney or accredited representative doesn’t need to go with you to the ASC.
- Prohibited items: federal law prohibits weapons such as firearms, knives, pepper spray and ammunition at any USCIS facility, even with a permit; leave them somewhere else before you go.
How to reschedule
- Online only: request it through your USCIS online account; don’t mail your request.
- Timing: ask before the original appointment, at least 12 hours ahead, with good cause.
- Less than 12 hours, or already missed: call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833) or ask Emma, the virtual assistant.
- Going to a different ASC: reschedule in advance and choose that location; if you just show up at a different ASC, your appointment won’t be processed.
- If you don’t show up: if you miss it without rescheduling or good cause, USCIS may consider your application abandoned and deny it.
- Can’t leave home: if a serious medical condition keeps you at home or in a hospital, you can request a mobile or homebound biometrics appointment, following the Notice for People with Disabilities section of your appointment notice.
What happens at the appointment
- Three things: your fingerprints, photo and signature are taken on machines.
- What your signature means: your digital signature attests, under penalty of perjury, that the information and documents you filed were complete, true and correct.
- Age: anyone 14 or older must sign; children under 14 don’t have to but may if they can, and a parent or legal guardian may sign for the child.
If you don’t speak English
- Bring an interpreter: if you don’t understand spoken English, bring someone who can interpret for you, such as a family member, attorney or accredited representative.
- Translated guides: USCIS has appointment guides in Arabic, Chinese, Creole, French, Korean, Polish and Portuguese.
For checking your cases in your USCIS online account, see Track Cases in Your USCIS Account, Add Each Receipt Number; green card renewals can also come with a biometrics appointment, see Green Card Due in 6 Months, File I-90, Conditional Use I-751; for abbreviations such as I-797C, see Immigration Terms, A-Number, EAD and Receipt Number Defined.
What this article did not check
- Whether you can walk in without an appointment: the page doesn’t say; you can call 800-375-5283 to ask.
- How early to arrive: the page doesn’t say, so this article doesn’t either.
- What counts as good cause: the page only says changing your location counts; this article doesn’t judge other situations.
Frequently asked questions
What do I bring to biometrics?
Your appointment notice (Form I-797C, all of them if you got more than one) and a valid photo ID, such as your green card, passport or driver’s license.
Can I reschedule by mail?
No. USCIS says to use your online account and not to mail your request.
I just realized a few hours before that I can’t go. What do I do?
If it’s less than 12 hours away, you can’t reschedule online; call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 or ask Emma.
My English isn’t good. Can a family member interpret for me?
Yes. USCIS says if you don’t understand spoken English, you can bring a family member, attorney or accredited representative to interpret.
Sources and dates checked
All checked on 2026-11-01.
- USCIS, Preparing for Your Biometric Services Appointment (page updated 2026-04-30):https://www.uscis.gov/forms/filing-guidance/preparing-for-your-biometric-services-appointment