USCIS biometrics: how to reschedule and what to bring?

How to reschedule: the steps

An appointment is rescheduled only through the USCIS online account. A letter or fax does not work: the agency's page asks outright not to mail requests. If you have no account, you create one at my.uscis.gov.

The request is made before the date and time of the appointment, at least 12 hours ahead, with the reason stated (good cause). The page does not list what counts as good cause; that is USCIS's call. Want a different ASC address? That is a reschedule too, and it is also arranged in advance.

With less than 12 hours left, or once the appointment is missed, the account request will not go through: what remains is a call to the Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833) or a chat with the virtual assistant Emma. After a reschedule a new notice with the date arrives; keep the old one.

What to bring and what happens at the visit

Two things are mandatory: the I-797C appointment notice and photo identification - a green card, passport or driver's license. If several notices came (say, for the I-485, I-765 and I-131 at once), bring them all: otherwise some of the cases may be left without fingerprints.

The visit itself is short: fingerprints on a scanner, a photo, a digital signature. The signature is not a formality: with it you attest under penalty of perjury that the form and all attachments were complete and true when filed. A name or other details cannot be changed on the spot - the notice was generated from your form.

If you do not understand spoken English, an interpreter or a relative may come with you. Your attorney does not need to attend. A disability accommodation is requested in advance, online or by phone.

What happens if you do not show up

The rule is in 8 CFR 103.2(b)(13)(ii): when USCIS requires a person to appear for biometrics, an interview or another in-person step and the person does not appear, the request is considered abandoned and denied. The only exception: by the appointment time the agency had already received a change of address or a rescheduling request and found the reason sufficient.

In practice a missed biometrics appointment drags down everything tied to it: the I-485 together with the I-765 and I-131. Reviving a case after such a denial costs far more than moving the visit a day earlier.

Dropping in at another ASC "on the way" without a reschedule is no longer possible: such visits used to be taken when slots were free, now they are not processed because of scheduling and security requirements.

Illness, homebound applicants, moving house

Fell ill the day before? Reschedule through the account under the general rule; the page asks for no doctor's note, but the reason must be stated. If the condition is serious and ongoing, so that leaving home or hospital is impossible, request mobile biometrics following the instructions in the notice.

A move is handled separately, through the change of address in the account or Form AR-11; by itself it does not move the appointment. If the new address is far from the assigned ASC, a reschedule with a different center is requested separately and in advance.

Passport expired? A green card or driver's license will do: any valid photo identification works.

When to expect the notice and what it costs

The notice comes by paper mail to the address on file, which is why people keep their USCIS address current. By community observations collected on the glossary page for biometrics, the letter arrives about a month after the I-485 is filed and the visit is set one to three weeks after the letter; timing varies, this is a guide, not a norm.

There is no separate biometrics charge for the I-485: G-1055 (edition 10/26/26) lists only the base fee for the form, $1,440 on paper or $1,390 online (checked Nov 4, 2026). For some other forms the schedule names a separate $30 per-person fee - check your form's row.

Consular biometrics is a different step

The search "biometrics in the US" often means fingerprints at the consular interview. That is part of the State Department's visa procedure: they are taken on the day of the interview and there is nothing to reschedule separately. An ASC appointment is a USCIS step inside the country, after an I-485, I-765, I-131 or another form is filed. How the consular interview goes is covered in a separate guide.