US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) opened a new asylum office in Tampa, FL on August 2 due to increased workload. The new office is the 11th largest in the country and the second in Florida.
Florida now has asylum offices in Tampa and Miami.
Florida currently leads in the number of asylum applications USCIS, and more than a quarter of all pending cases in the country are attributed to applicants in Florida.
“Opening an office in Tampa will help USCIS resolve urgent matters quickly and better handle a large number of asylum applications “, – said in the statement of the department.
The Tampa Office will review asylum applications from individuals in western and northern Florida and parts of central Florida. The Miami Asylum Office will continue to process asylum applications from individuals in southern Florida and parts of central Florida.
Asylum interviews are conducted by appointment only. USCIS already interviewed a small number of asylum seekers in Tampa in late June, but it officially opened on August 2.
The new office, located at 5524 West Cypress Street, Suite B, will be temporary until a permanent stand-alone facility near the Florida Convention Center becomes operational. Its opening is expected in the spring of 2022. The USCIS field office in Tampa, located at 5629 Hoover Boulevard, remains unchanged and USCIS continues to process applications for a green card and naturalization at this location.
