Important Information for Pending Cases During the Transition from the Current Version of the Form G-28 to the Revised Version

We are aware that some attorneys and accredited representatives who recently filed the current version of the G-28, Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative, may have received a courtesy copy instead of an original document. This occurred because we recently made necessary system changes to incorporate the new features that appear on the revised Form G-28. Release of the new Form G-28 has been temporarily delayed and, as a result, is not yet available for public use. We expect the new Form G-28 will be out soon, however, in the interim, USCIS adjusted its notice mailing process until the new form is available for public use.

During the Transition

Until the new Form G-28 is available for public use, we are working to ensure that attorneys and accredited representatives with a valid G-28 on file receive original notices for any cases currently pending with USCIS. We encourage attorneys and accredited representatives to alert their clients to the fact that they may receive an original notice. We will provide more information as soon as the revised Form G-28 is available for public use. Once the new Form G-28 is available for use, attorneys and accredited representatives will be required to submit the new form reflecting their clients’ preferences for mailing of notices or secure documents.

Background

We published a final rule, Notices of Decisions and Documents Evidencing Lawful Status, on Oct. 29, 2014, which became effective on Jan. 27, 2015.  This rule explains how a customer can choose to have any notices or secure documents sent directly to an attorney or accredited representative, if they are represented.

We revised the Form G-28 to include two new boxes so that applicants, petitioners, and requesters can state their mailing preferences for notices and secure documents. If the customer does not select a preference, we will send all official original notices and secure documents directly to the applicant, petitioner, or requester. The attorney or designated representative will receive a courtesy copy when appropriate. If the customer indicates a preference for notices or secure documents to be sent to their representative, USCIS will mail all official original notices or secure documents to the representative of record.