The first step in a New York immigration matter is to confirm which agency is handling your case. USCIS interviews are divided among four field offices by home ZIP code, the immigration court has three locations in Manhattan, and asylum interviews are split between the Bethpage and Newark offices. New York's immigration system is spread across several buildings, and a New York immigration lawyer taking on a new case usually confirms this first. The information below is current as of November 6, 2026.
The Four USCIS Field Offices
USCIS assigns offices by ZIP code. According to its August 2026 ZIP code chart:
- New York office: 26 Federal Plaza, 3rd floor, Room 3-120. It covers Manhattan, Westchester, Rockland and most ZIP codes in the Bronx. ZIP codes 10002 and 10013 in Lower Manhattan's Chinatown also belong here.
- Queens office: 31-00 47th Avenue, 5th floor, Room 5001, in Long Island City. It covers most ZIP codes in Queens and 7 ZIP codes in the Bronx.
- Brooklyn office: 532 Fulton Street, 4th floor. It covers Brooklyn and Staten Island.
- Long Island office: 30 Barretts Avenue, Holtsville. It covers Nassau and Suffolk counties and also 7 ZIP codes in eastern Queens, such as 11429 in Queens Village, 11426 in Bellerose and 11422 in Rosedale.
None of these offices accepts visitors without an appointment. USCIS may also transfer a case to a different office, so always follow the address on your notice.
Flushing ZIP codes 11354 and 11355 both belong to the Queens office, as do neighboring areas such as Bayside and Fresh Meadows. East of the city line, things change: Great Neck ZIP codes belong to the Long Island office. Relatives who live close together may be assigned to different offices, so do not simply copy what another family member was told.
Working in Manhattan: Your Case Follows Your Home Address
Many people search for a Manhattan immigration lawyer because their employer is in Manhattan. But for personal cases such as green cards and naturalization, the office usually depends on where you live, not where your employer is located. Coworkers in the same office building may go to different offices:
- Live in Flushing: Queens office.
- Live in Brooklyn: Brooklyn office.
- Live in Jersey City or Fort Lee: Newark office.
- Live in Edison: New Jersey Central office, in Cranbury.
Work statuses such as H-1B, L-1 and O-1 are filed by the employer or an agent and depend on the position and job duties. They are separate from where your personal green card or naturalization case is handled. If your company relocates or you switch to long-term remote work, we suggest asking your attorney first whether an amended petition needs to be filed.
Three New York City Immigration Court Locations
- Federal Plaza: 26 Federal Plaza, 12th floor, Room 1237.
- Broadway: 290 Broadway, 15th floor.
- Varick: 201 Varick Street, 5th floor, Room 507.
The Federal Plaza building houses both USCIS and an immigration court, one on the 3rd floor and one on the 12th floor, and they are two separate systems. USCIS interviews are run by the Department of Homeland Security, while the immigration court is part of the Department of Justice. EOIR states that visitors going to court should use the main entrance on the Broadway side, between Duane and Worth Streets. There is a security check at the entrance.
Check your court location and date using EOIR's Automated Case Information system by entering your A-number. If you receive a notice and do not appear, the judge may order you removed in your absence. If you disagree with the judge's decision, you may first appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), and then to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Asylum Interviews Are Split Between Two Offices
Asylum cases in New York State are handled by two offices. Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island and the Long Island counties belong to the New York Asylum Office in Bethpage; Manhattan and the Bronx belong to the Newark Asylum Office in New Jersey. Two people, one living in Manhattan and one in Flushing, may have asylum interviews in two different states.
What to Work Out Before You Move
- After moving, noncitizens generally must report their new address to USCIS within 10 days.
- If you plan to apply for naturalization and move to another state or USCIS jurisdiction, you generally must live in the new location for three months before you can file the N-400; for details, see Naturalization N-400 Process.
- If you have a pending case, a late address update may mean notices are mailed to your old address. If you share housing or sublet, also make sure you control access to the mailbox.
What to Check on Your Notice
- Whether it was sent by USCIS or the immigration court.
- The address, floor and time, and whether it is in person or by video.
- Whether your name and A-number are correct.
- Whether you have updated your address since you moved.
How to Get to Our Flushing Office
Lu Xin Law Offices is located at 36-09 Main Street, Suite 5-D5, Flushing. We do not have an office in Manhattan.
- Subway: Take the 7 train to the last stop, Flushing-Main St, and walk along Main Street.
- Long Island Rail Road: Take the Port Washington Branch to Flushing-Main Street station. This line connects Penn Station and Grand Central Madison. The station is accessible but has no waiting room.
- Before you come: Please call 347-618-3386 first and tell us the reason for your visit, so we can let you know which documents to bring.
Schedules differ by time of day, so check the MTA website for the exact route and weekend construction before you leave. If you cannot get away during the day, you can call or talk with us online first and send documents for us to review, then come in when a meeting is needed. Families looking for a Flushing immigration lawyer can bring the following to a first visit: passports, green cards or I-94 records, all USCIS or court letters you have received, and marriage and children's documents; if you have an arrest record, bring the court disposition documents. You may come even if you do not have everything.
What to Watch Out for with Chinese-Language Document Preparers
In areas with large Chinese communities, Chinese-language document preparation services are easy to find. Translation and form filling are not a problem in themselves, but Section 460-d of the New York General Business Law provides that immigration assistance service providers may not give legal advice and may not suggest a special relationship with the government. Section 460-b requires a written contract first and gives the client the right to cancel free of charge within three business days.
The Census Bureau's 2020-2024 American Community Survey estimates that about 59% of residents in ZIP code 11355 and about 43% in ZIP code 11354 are of Chinese descent (not including Taiwanese descent); in Lower Manhattan's 10002 and 10013, the figures are about 31% and 20%.
We suggest pausing if you run into any of the following:
- Someone tells you how to answer the questions on a form.
- Someone keeps your original passport or green card and will not return it.
- Someone says they know people at USCIS and can speed things up.
- You are asked to sign something you have not read.
How Attorney Attendance Is Arranged
Immigration law is federal. Beginning May 18, 2026, an attorney who wishes to attend an interview at a USCIS field office must appear in person and may not attend remotely, with a few exceptions, so leave travel time when scheduling your attorney. Attorney attendance at New York USCIS interviews and immigration court hearings is confirmed when you retain us.
Contact us
Our responsible attorney, Michael R. Curran, is licensed in New York and New Jersey. If you are unsure where to go after receiving a notice, please call 347-618-3386. Our services are described in Immigration Legal Services.
FAQ
I work in Manhattan. Do I have to go to Manhattan for my green card interview?
Usually it depends on your home address, not your employer's address. If you live in Flushing, your case goes to the Queens office; if you live in Brooklyn, to the Brooklyn office. Always follow the address on your notice.
Are USCIS and the immigration court at 26 Federal Plaza the same thing?
No. USCIS is on the 3rd floor and is part of the Department of Homeland Security; the immigration court is on the 12th floor and is part of the Department of Justice. When you arrive, check which agency sent your notice.
Can an attorney attend a USCIS interview remotely?
Beginning May 18, 2026, an attorney who wishes to attend an interview at a USCIS field office must appear in person and may not attend remotely, with a few exceptions. Leave travel time when scheduling your attorney.
Sources: uscis.gov, uscis.gov, justice.gov, justice.gov, justice.gov, justice.gov, uscis.gov, uscis.gov, acis.eoir.justice.gov, law.cornell.edu, law.cornell.edu, mta.info, mta.info, censusreporter.org, law.justia.com, law.justia.com, uscis.gov, uscis.gov, mta.info, censusreporter.org. The information above is current as of November 6, 2026. Immigration rules and fees may change, so check the latest official requirements before you file.
Attorney Advertising. This article is general information and is not legal advice on any particular case. Eligibility, procedures and outcomes depend on the facts of each case, the applicable law and the decision of the government agency.