The Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman (CIS Ombudsman) released an infographic detailing the process for requesting assistance from their office. It is a simple four-step process. The infographic is available in twelve languages.
- Step One: Try to resolve issues directly with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
- Submit a request to USCIS online, through your account, Ask Emma, or an e-Request
- Call the local USCIS Contact Center
- For lockbox issues and refugee processing, contact those departments directly
- Contact USCIS through their general Contact Us page
- Step Two: Contact Department of Homeland Security (DHS) CIS Ombudsman office
- Use DHS Form 7001, Request for Case Assistance
- Additional requirements apply for legal representatives or those applying for a T, U, VAWA, asylee, or refugee status.
- Step Three: CIS Ombudsman Office reviews the request for support
- Confirmation of receipt of request
- Review request, verifying no duplicate request submitted
- Confirmation of ability to assist or not, and why
- Step Four: CIS Ombudsman Office Action, if possible
- CIS contact USCIS office
- Updates to requestor throughout process
As always, working with an experienced attorney improves your odds of a successful outcome. If you have questions about any U.S. immigration related issue, please contact us. We work with our clients every step of the way.