Family Ties Under the Microscope in New Immigration Policy
Starting this month, new USCIS guidance aims to bolster fraud detection and national security screening
WASHINGTON — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued new policy guidance to strengthen the screening and adjudication process for family-based immigrant visa petitions, emphasizing efforts to detect fraud and enhance national security protections.
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The guidance, published in the USCIS Policy Manual on August 1, outlines how the agency will assess family-based immigrant petitions, including eligibility criteria, documentation, interview requirements, and potential outcomes. The update will apply to all pending and future petitions filed on or after the announcement.
“Fraudulent, frivolous, or otherwise non-meritorious family-based immigrant visa petitions erode confidence in family-based pathways to lawful permanent resident (LPR) status and undermine family unity in the United States,” the agency stated in the announcement. USCIS said the policy changes aim to ensure that family relationships used as the basis for green card applications are “genuine, verifiable, and compliant with all applicable laws.”
The revised guidance clarifies several key areas, including when the Department of State may accept a Form I-130 petition filed abroad by U.S. citizens for immediate relatives. This includes exceptions for U.S. military members and government personnel stationed overseas, as well as provisions for emergency situations caused by large-scale disruptive events.
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Additionally, the new rules explain how USCIS will handle cases where multiple or related petitions are filed, when interviews may be required, and under what circumstances approved petitions are routed to the National Visa Center. USCIS also reiterated that a family-based petition does not itself confer immigration status and may result in removal proceedings if the beneficiary is otherwise deemed removable.
The agency said it remains committed to “robust alien screening and vetting” to detect individuals who may pose a national security threat. In such cases, the updated guidance enables USCIS to initiate removal processes.
The policy takes effect immediately.
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