Cell Phone Policy Enforcement at Oakland USCIS Office?

F

futureYankee

New Member
I am scheduled for biometrics at the USCIS Application Support Center, 2040 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA.

The I-797C says "No cell phones, cameras, or other recording devices permitted"

Does anyone know how the cell phone policy is actually implemented at the Oakland office? I have read posts indicating that the San Francisco office changed policy in 2009 to allow cell phones as long as they are turned off. But I can't find anything to confirm a similar change in Oakland. I just called the USCIS national phone number, and spoke live with a "Ms. Andrews" who said she thought I would be OK if the cell phone was turned off, but frankly she didn't seem to be completely aware of the policy and she even said she had no specific knowledge of how the Oakland office handled things, so I'm not comfortable taking her word for it.

My reason for asking is that I will be a female traveling alone for over an hour by public transit to get to the office -- just from a safety perspective I don't want to make that trip without my cell phone. But since I won't have a car with me I won't have any convenient place to leave the phone, so it could be a huge waste of time if I take the phone and they enforce the policy strictly. So if anyone has any specific knowledge of how they handle cell phones at the Oakland office, it would be very helpful.
Thanks.
 
Al, thanks for your response... is that based on actual experience with the Oakland office? I have read countless forum posts indicating that cell phones in handbags or pockets were definitely not allowed in USCIS facilities, even if turned off. Also have read that the security desk will not even hold on to cell phones while inside. So most people who are turned away leave their phones in their cars in the parking lot. But I won't have that option. One poster said that at their local USCIS it was a big enough problem that a small business across the street actually offered cell phone safekeeping for a fee. But all those posts about these problems are dated before 2009. I have seen posts from 2009 indicating that the policy was changed at the San Francisco office and also the Tampa office -- what I am trying to figure out is whether the policy change was USCIS-wide, or office-specific. And if office-specific, then I would like to know what the Oakland-specific policy is. In the absence of specific info indicating otherwise, I think I will have to assume there will be strict enforcement of what is printed on the notice of action, i.e. no cell phones permitted.
 
Just did my FP at Oakland ASC. For future reference, shutting off the cell phone is good enough.
And seriously, some people either don't know how to write or follow the rules. There was this one lady answering her phone quietly, though she didn't get caught.
 
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