Form I-821 Instructions 04/01/24 Page 3 of 15
Biometric Services Appointment. USCIS may require you to appear for an interview or provide biometrics (ngerprints,
photograph, and/or signature) at any time to verify your identity, obtain additional information, and conduct background
and security checks, including a check of criminal history records maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI), before making a decision on your application or petition. If we determine that a biometric services appointment
is necessary, we will send you an appointment notice with the date, time, and location of your appointment. If you are
currently overseas, your notice will instruct you to contact a U.S. Embassy, U.S. Consulate, or USCIS oce outside the
United States to schedule an appointment.
At your biometrics appointment, you must sign an oath rearming that:
1. You provided or authorized all information in the application;
2. You reviewed and understood all of the information contained in, and submitted with, your application; and
3. All of this information was complete, true, and correct at the time of ling.
For applicants and dependents who appear before an immigration judge, failure to attend a biometric services
appointment, without good cause, may result in the immigration judge nding that your application was abandoned, and
USCIS may also deny any other application you led with USCIS.
If you do not attend your biometric services appointment, we may deny your application.
Copies. You should submit legible photocopies of documents requested, unless the Instructions specically state that you
must submit an original document. USCIS may request an original document at the time of ling or at any time during
processing of an application, petition, or request. If USCIS requests an original document from you, it will be returned to
you after USCIS determines it no longer needs your original.
NOTE: If you submit original documents when they are not required or requested, USCIS or the Immigration Court
may destroy them after we receive them.
Translations. If you submit a document with information in a foreign language, you must also submit a full English
translation. The translator must sign a certication that the English language translation is complete and accurate, and that
they are competent to translate from the foreign language into English. The certication must also include their signature,
printed name, the signature date, and their contact information.
USCIS Contact Center. For additional information on the application and Instructions about where to le, change of
address, and other questions, visit the USCIS Contact Center at www.uscis.gov/contactcenter or call at 800-375-5283
(TTY 800-767-1833). The USCIS Contact Center provides information in English and Spanish.
Disability Accommodations/Modications. To request a disability accommodation/modication, follow the instructions
on your appointment notice or at www.uscis.gov/accommodationsinfo.
How To Complete Form I-821
1. Type or print legibly in black ink.
2. If you need extra space to complete any item within this application, use the space provided in Part 11. Additional
Information or attach a separate sheet of paper. Type or print your name and Alien Registration Number (A-Number)
(if any) at the top of each sheet; indicate the Page Number, Part Number, and Item Number to which your answer
refers; and sign and date each sheet.
3. Answer all questions fully and accurately. If a question does not apply to you (for example, if you have never been
married and the question asks “Provide the name of your current spouse”), type or print “N/A,” unless otherwise
directed. If your answer to a question which requires a numeric response is zero or none (for example, “How many
children do you have?” or “How many times have you departed the United States?”), type or print “None,” unless
otherwise directed.