Biometrics appointment - No Cell phones. Are they very serious?

[audelair]

My wife just got her biometrics appointment letter for her I-751 (10 yr green card/removal of conditions).

 

On the letter, they say in bold that you cannot bring cell phone or camera.

 

As she will be by herself going into the city, she will naturally have her cell phone on her for emergency purposes. Does anyone know if they will let her simply turn it off and bring it in? Or perhaps allow her to leave it at the front desk?

 

Thanks.

[Randy W]

My wife just got her biometrics appointment letter for her I-751 (10 yr green card/removal of conditions).

 

On the letter, they say in bold that you cannot bring cell phone or camera.

 

As she will be by herself going into the city, she will naturally have her cell phone on her for emergency purposes. Does anyone know if they will let her simply turn it off and bring it in? Or perhaps allow her to leave it at the front desk?

 

Thanks.

 

 

While we were there, a lady got a call on her cell phone and they made her take it out to her car. If they see it (on or off), they will make her take it out to the car.

 

If it's off, and in her purse, I'm sure they won't notice.

[Ovahimba]

At the immigration building in San Francisco, they wouldn't allow cell phones past the front door and all your bags were x-rayed. If you were carrying a cell phone they told you to bring it back to the car or they directed you to a photo shop across the street doing a brisk business in temporarily holding your phone for $3 each.

[mchina34]

My wife just got her biometrics appointment letter for her I-751 (10 yr green card/removal of conditions).

 

On the letter, they say in bold that you cannot bring cell phone or camera.

 

As she will be by herself going into the city, she will naturally have her cell phone on her for emergency purposes. Does anyone know if they will let her simply turn it off and bring it in? Or perhaps allow her to leave it at the front desk?

 

Thanks.

 

 

everytime i've been (3 times now) i've brought my cell, and so has my wife. guess we didn't see the warning. i had to take it out of my pocket for scanning, so they must've seen it.

[LeeFisher3]

The issue is cell phones with a camera. We've had to leave them in the car all 5 times we've gone to USCIS.

[chef4u]

In Tampa, we went to an office park for the Biometrics appointment. There was a sign posted outside the door that said, "No Cell Phones Allowed". However, some people left their phones on a vibrate mode. If they got a call, they went outside to take the call. I personally got caught with a cup of Starbucks coffee. The grumpy guard made me throw it away. I guess I missed the sign that said, "No Food Or Drinks Allowed Past this Point"...

Edited December 4, 2007 by chef4u (see edit history)

[yuan fen]

Don't froget to leave all your "guns and knives" at home, or in the car.

They are not allowed either.

 

Sorry, I just found it odd they would request this also.

 

 

As for cell phones, the Social Security Office here had the same

requirements, as do most Government Offices. Customs at the airports makes one turn them off. In Guz cell phones are rendered

before entry on the 5th floor.

 

The "Application Support Center" here in Dallas requested "No Cell

Phones," but there was not an x-ray machine upon entry. One could easily turn it off, and be okay I would suppose. One person's phone

began ringing while waiting, but the officer at the desk didn't seem

too alarmed.

[Juette]

In Mississippi they are very serious. If your cellphone has a camera capability you must return it to your car. I had to jog about a 1/2 mile to where our car was parked and leave our phones there. They have scanners at the Mississippi office, so hiding it in a purse is not likely to work.

 

Juette

[tywy_99]

Since everything is done electronically now, ie., fingerprints and photographs, at these ASC's, they don't want anything interfering with the equipment and cell phones are probably the biggest culprit in interference.

[audelair]

Hmm, that's too bad. My wife takes public transport so can't put it in the car. She might just have to go without a cell phone.

 

Thanks for all of the feedback! She will be going to the Portland, OR office.

[mchina34]

i'd leave it at home as you suggest.

 

just fyi for everyone, this last time at the USCIS (last thursday) i even checked my voice mail a couple times as i got a couple voice messages while i was waiting for the interview. i even had to take mine out of my pocket every time and put it in the coin tray to run through the scanner. strange how they didn't say anything about our cell phones...no questions at all. and they both have cameras...imagine the damage to national security that could've been done.