USCIS to Close the Moscow Field Office

On February 5, 2019, USCIS announced that it will be closing its Field Office in Moscow, Russia, effective March 1, 2019. It cited a significant decrease in workload as the driving factor behind the decision. USCIS Field Offices abroad are a component of the agency’s International Operations Division and are charged with carrying out USCIS’ mission and activities in the international arena. Services handled by international Field Offices include Immigration Services (e.g., applying for travel documents, international adoptions), Fraud Detection and Deterrence Services (e.g., overseas documentary and informational verifications),and Inter- and Intra-Government Liaison Services (e.g., provision of technical expertise on immigration-related matters to U.S. government agencies abroad and foreign governments).