USCIS New York Field Office: Appointments, Interviews, ADIT Stamps

The USCIS New York field office is at 26 Federal Plaza, 3rd Floor, Room 3-120, inside the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building in Lower Manhattan.¹ It handles in-person immigration services for New York City and eight surrounding counties, including naturalization and green card interviews, ADIT stamps, and emergency advance parole. Every visit requires a confirmed appointment; the office does not accept walk-ins, and it has no public phone number for case questions or scheduling.²

Who This Office Covers

The New York field office serves all five boroughs (Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens, and Richmond) plus Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties. If you live in one of these areas and your application requires an interview, this is where it will be scheduled. The rest of New York State is handled by other USCIS field offices; if you’re not sure which one covers your address, the locator at uscis.gov/about-us/find-a-uscis-office will tell you.³

Always confirm the office listed on your official interview notice rather than assuming based on where you live.

What the Office Handles

Naturalization and Green Card Interviews

Most of the office’s workload is interviews on two forms: N-400 (Naturalization) for permanent residents applying for citizenship, and I-485 (Adjustment of Status) for people already in the U.S. applying to become permanent residents.⁴ A USCIS Service Center processes the initial filing and background checks, then transfers the file to the field office for the interview.

The office also conducts I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) interviews when the facts warrant one. Standalone I-130 petitions are usually decided without a personal interview, but an I-130 filed together with an I-485 is interviewed at the field office.⁵

ADIT Stamps and Emergency Appointments

You can request an in-person appointment for urgent matters, including an ADIT stamp (temporary proof of permanent resident status) and Emergency Advance Parole for unexpected travel.⁶ An ADIT stamp is useful when your green card is lost or expired and you need proof of status for a job or reentry.

Not every ADIT request requires an office visit. When you call the Contact Center, an officer verifies your identity and address and either creates an in-person appointment or asks the field office to mail temporary documentation.⁷

The office does not handle asylum cases.

How to Get an Appointment

There are two paths, and the right one depends on why you need to come in.

For ADIT stamps, Emergency Advance Parole, and Immigration Judge grants, request an appointment through myUSCIS at my.uscis.gov/appointment.⁶ If the online tool doesn’t fit your situation, call the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283 (TTY: 1-800-767-1833).² You can also use the online virtual assistant, Emma, to get general questions answered or reach a live agent.⁸

Interview appointments for N-400 and I-485 cases work differently. You don’t schedule these yourself. USCIS mails you an interview notice once your case is ready, with the date, time, and location. If you cannot make it, follow the rescheduling instructions on the notice. USCIS does not penalize a reschedule, but it adds delay, so treat the original date seriously.⁹

For case-specific status updates, use the free lookup tool at egov.uscis.gov with your 13-character receipt number.¹⁰

Arriving at 26 Federal Plaza

Arrive exactly 15 minutes before your scheduled time. Not earlier, not later. Late arrivals get canceled and rescheduled.⁶ The building sits in the Civic Center area of Lower Manhattan and is reachable by several subway lines, within walking distance of City Hall.

Security screening is airport style: metal detector and X-ray for bags. Leave weapons, sharp objects, and anything questionable at home. Being turned away at security costs you the appointment and weeks of delay to rebook.

What to Bring

Whatever the appointment type, always bring your printed appointment notice and a valid government-issued photo ID.

For a naturalization interview (N-400), bring:

Your Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551), even if expired
A state-issued ID such as a driver’s license
All current and expired passports and travel documents showing your travel history since becoming a permanent resident
Any additional documents specifically listed on your notice; USCIS publishes Form M-477 as a detailed checklist

These come directly from USCIS guidance for naturalization applicants.¹¹

For an adjustment of status interview (I-485), bring originals of every document you filed copies of, plus anything specifically requested in your interview notice. Marriage-based cases should expect to bring joint financial records, a shared lease, photographs, and similar proof of a genuine relationship. The officer has wide discretion to ask for supporting evidence, so bring more than you think you’ll need.

For an emergency ADIT stamp, bring evidence of the emergency itself, such as a travel itinerary or an employer’s written request for proof of status.⁸

Interpreters

If you aren’t comfortable interviewing in English, you can bring your own interpreter to most field office interviews. The interpreter must be fluent in both languages, must interpret consecutively rather than simultaneously, and must translate word for word without adding commentary.¹² Both of you will sign a declaration at the interview.

A few limits apply. Your attorney or accredited representative cannot also serve as your interpreter. Children under 14 cannot interpret at all, and those 14 to 17 face restrictions. The officer can disqualify any interpreter who compromises the integrity of the interview. For N-400 interviews specifically, the interpreter must complete an oath and privacy release and show government-issued ID.¹³

Note the boundary here: naturalization applicants generally must demonstrate English proficiency, so an interpreter is only permitted in specific situations, such as a qualifying medical disability exemption.

Disability Accommodations

26 Federal Plaza is wheelchair accessible, and you don’t need to notify USCIS in advance if that’s your only need. For other accommodations, including sign language interpretation, modified civics testing, or extended time, request them as soon as you get your appointment notice. Submit requests at uscis.gov/accommodations or through the Contact Center.¹⁴

Processing Times

Processing at the New York field office tends to run longer than at many other USCIS offices, largely because of case volume in the metro area. The main bottleneck is interview scheduling: your file may sit ready for months before a slot opens.

Estimated times by form and office are published at egov.uscis.gov/processing-times, and the numbers update as the office works through its queue.¹⁵ If your case has been pending longer than the posted time, you may submit a service request through your USCIS online account or the Contact Center.

After the Interview

An interview typically ends one of three ways: approved, denied, or continued. A continuation means the officer needs more evidence or time, and you’ll receive a written request with a deadline.

Naturalization Oath Ceremonies

If your N-400 is approved, the final step is the Oath of Allegiance. Field offices hold administrative ceremonies at regular intervals, and in some cases the oath happens the same day as the interview.¹⁶ Otherwise, you’ll be scheduled for a later date.

Some applicants take the oath at a judicial ceremony before a federal judge instead. In the New York area, these are held at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York at the Pearl Street Courthouse, typically on Fridays. Processing by USCIS officers and deputy clerks begins at 10:00 a.m., and the formal ceremony starts around 11:30 a.m.¹⁷ You receive your Certificate of Naturalization at the ceremony and become a U.S. citizen the moment you take the oath.

After an I-485 Approval

The officer may approve your case on the spot or place it in administrative processing. Once approved, USCIS mails your green card to the address on file, usually within a few weeks. Confirm your address is current in your USCIS online account before the interview. A card sent to the wrong address is a fixable problem, but not a quick one.

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Field Offices
2
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Contact Center
3
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Find A USCIS Office
4
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Form I-485
5
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-130 Petition for Alien Relative
6
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Schedule an Appointment
7
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Temporary Status Documentation for Lawful Permanent Residents
8
USCIS Policy Manual. Types of Assistance
9
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. If You Feel Sick, Do Not Come to Your USCIS Appointment
10
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Case Status Online
11
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Citizenship What to Expect
12
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The Role and Use of Interpreters in Domestic Field Office Interviews
13
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Naturalization Interview
14
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Disability Accommodations for the Public
15
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Processing Times
16
USCIS Policy Manual. General Considerations for All Oath Ceremonies
17
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Naturalization Ceremony and Schedule