VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — COVID-19 has caused the Norfolk Immigration Services field office to put some pending cases on hold.
Immigration attorney Radlyn Mendoza explained to 13News Now how the closure of the field offices has been impacting people who need in-person interviews.
Kevin Terry, one person who has been affected, said he was planning on marrying his fiancee soon. Immigration regulations aimed to slow the spread of coronavirus have put their wedding plans on hold.
“We are still waiting for an interview with the US Embassy in Madrid to get Lucia’s visa, to come over here and get married,” said Terry.
He hopes Spain will lift some of their COVID-19 restrictions soon.
Terry and his fiance aren't the only people stuck waiting for their next in-person interview with Immigration Services.
“It’s delaying everything down the road for citizenship cases," said Mendoza. "We have probably hundreds of people who are waiting to just swear in to become a US citizen."
Mendoza said many of her clients have been calling to ask "what will happen" to their cases. She's telling them not to give up.
“To try not to lose hope," she said was her message. "Cases are being processed; cases are moving forward."
They're just proceeding slowly and cautiously.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services plans to reopen their offices on or after June 4. Mendoza said even before that date, not all important services have stopped.