USCIS field office in Harlingen is moving to Edinburg

HARLINGEN, Texas – The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services field office in Harlingen is moving to Edinburg, its field office director has announced.

Norman A. Limon confirmed the relocation in an exclusive video interview with Rio Grande Guardian International News Service anchor Mari Regalado. 

“We’re moving to a facility that is a Wells Fargo bank right now. We will be occupying the third floor of a building that is on the corner of Trenton and McColl in Edinburg. We are estimating that we will move in by the end of May,” Limon said.

Asked why the move was happening, Limon said the 20-year lease USCIS has for its current premises, on Zoy Street in Harlingen, is about to expire. She said because a number of Department of Homeland Security functions no longer happen in the building, USCIS no longer needs as much space. “We are moving to a fooprint that is a lot smaller,” Limon said. 

Limon said the new location will be accompanied by a new name for the field office. The facility on Zoy Street is known as the Harlingen Field Office. The new facility in Edinburg will be called the Rio Grande Valley Field Office. Limon said her office looks after a six-county region. 

The purpose of the video interview was to see if USCIS is still making a push to get over 150,000 legal residents in the Valley to become naturalized U.S. citizens. Limon said the agency was. 

“We are always promoting citizenship. Approximately, 500 people a month become citizens here in the Rio Grande Valley,” Limon said.

USCIS likes to make presentations to nonprofit organizations so its work can be better understood by the community, Limon explained.

“I would like to encourage folks to really understand the naturalization process. I encourage community-based organizations… if you want to invite us to do a presentation for your clients or your customers, we are more than happy to attend one of your meetings.”

Limon added: “Anything that we can do to bring that education to our community, so that they know and understand the process of becoming a US citizen… it is the easiest thing to do. I know that sometimes people can become intimidated by it, but it’s so easy to do it. You don’t need an attorney to file for an N-400. You could do it without having to hire one. If you don’t have the means to apply for an N-400, you can apply for a fee waiver. There’s a form I-912 that you can submit to exclude you from having to provide the funds for the N-100. So it’s an easy process.”

Editor’s Note: Here is a video recording of the conversation between Norma A. Limon and Mari Regalado:

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