Starting today, September 9, 2013, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will use a new tool called Customer Identity Verification (CIV) in its offices.
The purpose is to confirm the identity of the person who is applying for an interview or immigration benefit and to prevent immigration fraud through the use of fingerprints and photographs.
The new system is an additional filter and will work as follows:
Once a customer arrives at a USCIS office, passes through security, and is called to the window, two fingerprints will be electronically scanned and a photograph will be taken to verify his or her identity. The process takes only a few minutes and only applies to customers who already have an interview or who need to receive proof of an immigration benefit.
Individuals who come to a USCIS office for InfoPass appointments or to accompany a client will not be subject to this process. After the person's identity is verified, they will be able to proceed to their interview or receive their document.
Currently, USCIS requires applicants and petitioners applying for immigration or naturalization benefits to go to one of the Application Support Centers to provide their biometric data.
USCIS uses this data to determine if a person is eligible for the benefits they are applying for. This requirement will not change. They will also still need to present a government-issued identity document.
When going for an interview at a USCIS office, agents will use the database where the fingerprints and photographs of an applicant for immigration benefits are recorded and compare them to the fingerprints and photos taken at the office to verify that it is the same person. In this way they hope to prevent identity theft or fraud.
English 
Español