The USCIS Boston Field Office is located inside the John F. Kennedy Federal Building at 15 New Sudbury Street, Room E-160, Boston, MA 02203, and it operates by appointment only.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). USCIS District Offices It handles in-person immigration business for much of Massachusetts, including naturalization interviews, adjustment of status interviews, and oath ceremonies. You cannot walk in for a case status check or general question; every visit requires a written appointment notice from USCIS.
Getting to the Building
The Kennedy Federal Building sits in Government Center, directly across from City Hall Plaza. If you take the MBTA, the Government Center station is roughly a five-minute walk and is served by the Blue Line and every branch of the Green Line. North Station, with commuter rail service, is about seven minutes on foot. Drivers can use the Parcel 7 Parking Garage between New Chardon and Sudbury Streets, which sits directly across from the Sudbury Street entrance.
Arrive early. Security screening at the entrance runs like an airport checkpoint, and morning lines can be long. Weapons, bladed objects, pepper spray, and explosives are prohibited inside all federal buildings.2USCIS. Conduct in USCIS Facilities You can bring your phone through security, but it must be silenced in the waiting area and turned off during your interview.
Hours and Appointments
The office is open Monday through Friday. Appointment slots are generally scheduled between 7:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., and your specific time appears on your notice. Bring the notice with you; you cannot enter the building without it, along with a valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID.
Most appointments are generated automatically as your case moves through processing, and USCIS mails you the notice. If you need in-person help that cannot be handled online or by phone, you must request an appointment through the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 or the online portal at my.uscis.gov.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Contact Center
Which Massachusetts Counties the Boston Office Serves
The Boston Field Office serves 14 Massachusetts counties: Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, and Worcester.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). USCIS District Offices If you live outside these counties, you may be assigned to a different field office such as the one in Lawrence. Your appointment notice always confirms which office to visit, so check it before making travel plans.
Services Handled at the Boston Office
Field offices handle the in-person steps that can’t be done at a USCIS Service Center.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Field Offices At Boston, that covers interviews for non-asylum cases, naturalization ceremonies, and a handful of other services that require face-to-face contact.
Naturalization Interviews and Oath Ceremonies
If you filed Form N-400, your interview and English and civics test take place here. An officer reviews your application, verifies your identity, confirms eligibility, and administers the tests. If you pass, the officer may approve your case the same day.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Application for Naturalization Approved applicants then attend an oath ceremony, which is the final step to becoming a citizen. The Boston office conducts both administrative ceremonies at the USCIS facility and judicial ceremonies coordinated with a federal court. You cannot exercise citizenship rights until you have taken the oath and received your Certificate of Naturalization.
Adjustment of Status Interviews
Applicants who filed Form I-485 attend their interview here. The officer reviews your petition, confirms the underlying family relationship or employment basis, and examines your supporting documents. Marriage-based cases almost always require an interview; employment-based cases sometimes do not.
ADIT Stamps, Emergency Travel, and I-751 Interviews
If your green card is expired, lost, or was never received and you need temporary proof of permanent resident status, you can request an appointment for an I-551 (ADIT) stamp in your passport through my.uscis.gov or the Contact Center.6myUSCIS. Schedule an Appointment
If you have a pending Form I-131 and a critical need to travel outside the country within 15 days, such as a family member’s death or a medical emergency, USCIS may schedule emergency issuance of an advance parole document at the field office. Bring a new signed Form I-131 with the filing fee, evidence supporting the travel need, two passport photos, and certified English translations of any non-English documents.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Emergency Travel
Some conditional permanent residents filing Form I-751 to remove conditions on a green card are called in for an interview, particularly those who got their status through consular processing abroad rather than adjustment of status in the U.S. USCIS may waive the interview when the record already shows strong evidence of a genuine marriage and the applicant was previously interviewed.
What to Bring
Every appointment requires your notice and a valid photo ID. Beyond that, what you bring depends on the interview.
Naturalization
For an N-400 interview, USCIS asks you to bring:8USCIS. Thinking About Applying for Naturalization
- Your Permanent Resident Card and a state-issued ID such as a driver’s license
- All passports, both valid and expired, plus any travel documents issued by USCIS
- Certified tax returns for the last five years, or three years if you are married to a U.S. citizen
- Your marriage certificate, and if applicable, divorce decrees, annulment decrees, or death certificates for any former spouse
- Court records showing the outcome of any arrest, detention, or citation, including expunged records and plea bargains
- Selective Service proof if you are a male who was required to register
- Form N-648 if you are requesting a medical exception to the English or civics testing requirements
Adjustment of Status
For an I-485 interview, bring originals or certified copies of:9USCIS. Chapter 4 – Documentation
- Your birth certificate, with a certified English translation if it is in another language
- Evidence of lawful admission or parole, such as passport entry stamps, Form I-94, or parole authorization
- Form I-864 Affidavit of Support for family-based and certain employment-based cases
- Form I-693 medical examination completed by a USCIS-designated civil surgeon
- Arrest records and court dispositions for every arrest, anywhere in the world
- For marriage-based cases, your marriage certificate and evidence of a genuine relationship, including photos together, joint financial accounts, and a shared lease or mortgage
Missing a tax transcript or a court disposition is one of the most common reasons interviews end in a continuance and a delay of several months. Organize everything before you leave the house.
Who Can Come With You
USCIS limits who can enter the building with you. Generally, the following people are allowed:
- Your attorney or accredited representative
- An interpreter, if you need one and are not in an asylum interview
- A person assisting someone with a disability
- Immediate family members listed as dependents on the application or interview notice
- For a minor applicant, a parent, legal guardian, or trusted adult
Friends and extended family who don’t fit these categories will likely be turned away at security. Waiting rooms have limited space and waits can run long, so plan childcare in advance if you can.
Phones and Recording
Phones must be silenced in the waiting area and turned off during your interview or while speaking with staff at the information counter. No one may photograph or record audio or video inside a USCIS office. The only exception is naturalization and citizenship ceremonies.2USCIS. Conduct in USCIS Facilities Breaking the recording rule can disrupt your interview and lead to removal from the facility.
Disability Accommodations and Interpreters
Request any disability accommodation, such as wheelchair access, a sign language interpreter, or extra time, as soon as you receive your appointment notice. You can request one online at uscis.gov/accommodations or by calling the Contact Center.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Disability Accommodations for the Public
If a physical or mental condition prevents you from learning English or passing the civics test for naturalization, you may qualify for a medical exception by submitting Form N-648 certified by a licensed doctor or clinical psychologist. The certification must be no more than 180 days old at the time you file your N-400, and the doctor must explain how your specific condition prevents you from meeting the testing requirements.11USCIS. Chapter 3 – Medical Disability Exception (Form N-648) Submit it with your application if you can; presenting it for the first time at the interview often triggers a continuance.
For interviews other than naturalization, you may bring your own interpreter if you are not fluent in English. USCIS does not typically provide interpreters at field office interviews, so finding a qualified one is your responsibility. The interpreter must be fluent in both English and your language, able to interpret accurately and without bias, and must demonstrate proficiency to the interviewing officer’s satisfaction.12U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The Role and Use of Interpreters in Domestic Field Office Interviews Your own attorney or accredited representative cannot interpret. Children under 14 are prohibited entirely, and teenagers 14 through 17 or anyone who is also a witness in your case are restricted, though an officer may grant an exception for good cause.
Rescheduling or Missing Your Appointment
There is no penalty for rescheduling, and USCIS asks you to reschedule rather than show up if you are feeling sick.13U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. If You Feel Sick, Do Not Come to Your USCIS Appointment Follow the instructions on your appointment notice to request a new date. For biometrics appointments, an online rescheduling tool is available through your USCIS online account, though it cannot be used if the appointment has already been rescheduled twice, is within 12 hours, or has already passed.14U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Launches Online Rescheduling of Biometrics Appointments
Simply not showing up is a different matter. For naturalization and adjustment of status applications, USCIS may administratively close or deny your case if you fail to appear. Do not assume the agency will automatically send you a new notice.
Checking Case Status and Processing Times
USCIS publishes estimated processing times for each form at each field office. Check current wait times at egov.uscis.gov/processing-times by selecting your form, form category, and the Boston field office.15USCIS. Processing Times These change regularly, so check back rather than relying on secondhand reports.
To track a specific case, use the Case Status Online tool at egov.uscis.gov with the 13-character receipt number from your receipt notice.16USCIS. Case Status Online If your case has been pending longer than the posted processing time, you can submit a service request through the processing times page. If USCIS does not respond within 60 days, you can escalate by filing a case assistance request with the DHS CIS Ombudsman.17DHS/CIS Ombudsman. Check Your USCIS Case Inquiry Date