The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) Tampa District has announced that it will begin reopening its local offices for interviews and other in-person services beginning in mid-June and July. The offices covered by this announcement include CIS offices in Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach and Fort Myers. The District will begin scheduling a reduced number of naturalization ceremonies and appointments for information and services, referred to as Infopass appointments. Social distancing measures will be in effect. All persons attending scheduled appointments will be required to wear face masks and bring their own black or blue ink pens to sign any documents. The District will limit the persons who may enter the CIS office with the applicant, such as spouses, attorneys or authorized representatives, or parents/guardians.
The most significant change pertains to use of interpreters. Interpreters will only be authorized to appear telephonically, which is a significant departure from the normal operation. Those who are not fluent in English are required to provide their own interpreters, who normally attend the appointments with the individuals and sit with them to interpret. Under the new rules, however, the interpreting must be done telephonically.
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