USCIS issues new biometric privacy notices to immigrants

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has begun issuing new notices to many applicants with pending immigration files, including those applying for naturalization via form N-400. Titled ‘FBI Privacy Requirements for Biometrics Collection by USCIS’, the document informs applicants how their fingerprints, photographs, and other biometric data are used for FBI background checks.

These notices are part of the agency’s integration into the Continuous Immigration Vetting (CIV) system, a method for ongoing immigration screening. Legal experts and immigration attorneys note that the arrival of these letters has caused concern among applicants, but they emphasize that receiving the notice does not indicate a criminal record, a problem with an application, or an impending denial.

The communication explicitly states, ‘No additional steps are required from you at this time. You will receive a separate notification if USCIS needs more information.’ Recipients are not required to submit new documents or attend fingerprinting appointments solely based on this notice.