Homeland Security

— Based on biometrics appointment experience–
I just came back with my husband for his biometrics appointment. My husband thought we need to go in together, but that’s not the case. This facility is not as strict as the USCIS office in Vancouver where I usually go to get my VISA. They don’t check any of your documents at security, so even if you don’t have an appointment you can just go in. I basically just walked past everyone in line and grabbed the form for biometrics on the counter, and walked into the next room at the right. Nobody stopped me or anything, and I thought maybe that could be improved since I’m not sure if they want randoms in their building if they don’t need to be there…
My appointment was at 1pm, and there were a ton of people in line before me. However, my husband’s was at 10am and there’s like nobody waiting for biometrics. What happened was that he didn’t need to wait for 10 – 15 min for them to call your number to get in the other room, he could just walk in and wait. His technician was super fast and did all fingerprints faster than anyone else while the other technician ladies were busy chatting while working. I’m pretty sure the whole process took less than 25 min for him, and it’d be faster if he fills out his form when he’s waiting in line for window #11.
TIP: Bring a clip board and pen to fill out your form while you wait in line for window #11 for biometrics appointment. You will look so pro and make your mom proud (lol jk)!

I think the one poor review here likely is too young to understand just how far this has come.
Visiting the INS was similar to being forced to hammer your nutsack paper thin and feed it to an aging relative. If the Relative was a member of the KGB who enjoyed threatening you with deportation.
I thought a few words on what goes down might be in order to help some others. In fact that’s why I found this review as I was looking for info because I didn’t know what to expect.
I was there as they opened, and way too early for my appointment. (I was trying to beat traffic) thinking I would have trouble parking and, it would be the usual horrific experience anything in Seattle is.
It’s very much in it’s own space though and they have on site parking. A lot of it.
Parking costs 7 dollars in cash.
While there, the usual security thing happens. You put your shoes and belongings in a plastic tub and walk through a scanner.
You walk up to a triage desk, and they tell you where to head to. You can ask them any questions you might need to.
Hey get this. She was friendly and smiled.
Inside, there was much confusion among applicants as to what anyone does, as the main windows to serve other items (the one where you grab a ticket and wait for the number to be called) doesn’t open at the same time as the general services window. This caused people to think they were missing their appointment.
Also, it might be worth pointing out that even though they say no cell phones, this seemed to be completely ignored by most. I left mine in the car outside, but some people were gathering information and openly talking/​texting on theirs.
If you have an appointment time, and appointment letter, you simple wait until vaguely the time of that appointment, line up if there is a line, and then go and hand in your appointment notice paperwork along with your proof of ID at window #11.
I think I was half an hour early for mine, and they didn’t seem to care. It isn’t a one on one thing. They just stagger the times to avoid rushes.
Things have come a long way. It’s still very much as is and department of licensing-​like, but as I haven’t set foot in one of these places in ten years, the differences shone through. The little card given out to ask how they did. I mean. Wow?
It isn’t as if they’re going to offer you coffee and ask how your day is going, because they didn’t so much as speak to me or say hello, at all during any of the processing to get my fingerprints and photographs, but it was still all a step in the right direction, and I didn’t leave an INS office feeling like crap. Which is a first.
Perhaps the staff themselves might feel a little less suicidal if this momentum is continued, because the main unpleasantness is still in feeling like you’re trudging through bureaucracy and experiencing the human embodiment of what that does to people. IE, the staff are unhappy, and very bored and don’t want to talk to anyone.
Overall, I would recommend this process over deportation. I hope they continue the obvious hard work. It really is noticeable and very appreciated for what is a uniquely stressful occasion in the lives of the people who find themselves there.

Is this the Ghana customs house? Computers down, everything is broken, smells like fart. Seriously felt like I was at a third-​world bus station. Staff was friendly if not just mildly incompetent (as you come to expect from many of our outward-​facing federal employees), but the experience as a whole was awe-​inspiringly bad.

I was a victim of marriage fraud. My ex is a criminal who made a false application with a fake history. This ultimately would not have happened without my gullibility and complicity. There is little enforcement of immigration fraud. My ex lied on her application and married for a green card. Considering they didn’t catch my ex who fraudulently received papers and don’t follow up on immigration fraud, I am not sure what they do but rubber stamp approvals. One women made 10 distinct applications and marriages before being caught. How many terrorists are coming here using this method? My ex could have been Osama bin laden and receive permanent residence in US

I had an appointment today and let’s just say it was completely disappointing. The guy wouldn’t listen to me and refused me right away as soon as he saw my Canadian passport. He asked my husband if he was American, by which my husband replied, yes. He then proceeded with the following discriminatory comment, «Canadians have all these freedoms they enjoy and when they come here they think they can apply them here, that’s why we make it harder for Canadians.» The comment was completely unnecessary, rude, and discriminatory.

We didn’t know what to expect coming to this office. I am an American citizen trying to help my wife with her citizenship. We were treated with respect and dignity. Everyone in the building was very nice and approachable lots of smiles. The associate who helped us was very professional. I am proud that the people working at this office are representing our country it has made me feel refreshed. Thank you USCIS!!!

Competent, well organized and pleasant staff. I was flabbergasted. Way to go Homeland Security

You need $ 7 to park here… cash.

I have been dealing with immigration services for nearly 20 years; with services ranging from inexcusably rude to polite, the latter being rare (when I first interviewed for a green card the officer at the New York INS office refused –out of the blue– to shake my hand!) Having established that, I’ve NEVER experienced such a polite and professional service as I did with the Tukwila office. Unlike the «old INS», these officers don’t act like they are doing one a favor; they are good-​natured, caring, knowledgeable and able. Their service should be a standard to all government agencies. This is not a case of having a low standard and viewing an OK service as the best, these officers are truly top-​notch.

Rarely am I impressed with US Government agencies or employees. Albeit, when my wife and I had heard nasty things about HLS being rude, lazy and incompetent, you can imagine how VERY surprised and happy we were that quite the opposite was true. All the employees were patient, knowledgeable, humorous, and polite. Thanks to their team, everything went timely & smoothly. Most the people leaving after their meetings seemed to reflect this satisfaction by their smiles as well. Keep up the good work HLS emigration employees!