Local USCIS Office in Chicago, Illinois
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is a federal agency through which the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provides various immigration services. The USCIS offers immigration-related services through its official website as well through offices located across the country and overseas.
In the U.S., the USCIS has divided the country into 4 regions (Northeast, Southeast, Central, and Western) with each region having a regional director. The regions are further divided into 26 districts. Within each district, there may be several field offices.
The Chicago Field Office
The Chicago Field Office is administered by Director Martha Medina-Maltes, and it is located at:
101 West Congress Parkway Chicago, IL 60605
The field office serves applicants living in the following areas:
- Illinois
- Wisconsin
- Northwest Indiana: Lake, Porter, LaPorte, and Saint Joseph
Case Processing Times
- Application for Certificate of Citizenship (N-600): 9 months to 12.5 months
- Application for Naturalization (N-400): 13.5 months to 21 months
- Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate Under Section 322 (N-600K): 8 months to 23.5 months
Field Office Appointments
The Chicago field office notifies applicants and petitioners who have previously scheduled appointments. Besides the applicant, the people allowed to visit include an attorney/authorized representative and a person providing disability assistance.
The lawyer/representative can accompany the applicant or participate telephonically. Interpreters are available via telephone; however, in case it is determined that they should be physically present, the interview may be rescheduled if an interpreter is not available at that time.
Individuals looking to reschedule must call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283. Asylum seekers can reschedule by following the instructions provided in their interview notice.
Field Office Visits
Similar to many public and private service providers, the USCIS has adopted COVID-19 SOPs that visitors are required to follow. Here are some of these SOPs:
- Cover your mouth and nose with a suitable mask. Bandanas, exhaust valve masks, and neck gaiters are considered by USCIS to be unsuitable coverings
- Do not enter if you have any of the symptoms of COVID-19 or if you haven’t yet received your COVID-19 test result
- Leave at once if your temperature is measured at 100.4°F or above (Application Support Centers are an exception)
- You may enter 15 minutes before the appointment (30 minutes in the case of naturalization ceremonies).
USCIS Services
The USCIS offers a wide variety of services, including, but not limited to, the following:
- Citizenship through naturalization/ parents
- Immigration of family members
- Working in the U.S.
- Adoption of children from other countries
- Immigrant integration tools
As mentioned before, many services are available through the USCIS website. Therefore, before visiting the Chicago field office, it is a good idea to search for the service you need online. Here are some services provided to immigrants through the USCIS site:
- Detailed research of immigration-related options
- e-Filing of certain applications
- Checking the progress of cases
- Detailed Green Card and citizenship information