USCIS

US Citizenship and Immigration Services (used to be BCIS, INS)

USCIS Updates Guidance on Determining Custody for Children Acquiring U.S. Citizenship

Release Date 

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration and Services is issuing guidance regarding the legal and physical custody requirements for purposes of acquisition of U.S. citizenship under section 320 and naturalization under section 322 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). USCIS is also expanding guidance on derivation of citizenship before the Child Citizenship Act of 2000, under former INA section 321.

USCIS Updates Guidance on Lawful Admission for Permanent Residence Requirement for Naturalization

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify that a naturalization applicant’s burden to demonstrate they have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence applies only to their initial admission as a lawful permanent resident (LPR) or adjustment to LPR status.

Rising NIW rejection rates: Examining changes in eligibility criteria

Question details

Why rejection rate of NIWs is increasing? Is there any change in eligibility criteria, etc.?

 

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FAQ Transcript

The USCIS is currently focusing on two main aspects when evaluating NIW petitions:

  1. National Importance of Your Work:

They want to see how your specific work benefits the entire country, not just your immediate sphere of influence.

Example: For a neurosurgeon, saving lives locally isn't enough; they want to see a broader national impact.

  1. Comparative Contribution:

USCIS is looking at how your work stands out from others in your field.

They want to see that your contribution is not just significant but also distinguishable from your peers' work.

These two factors are currently the primary focus in NIW evaluations, leading to higher rejection rates for petitions that don't adequately address these specific points.

 

USCIS Updates Policy Guidance Clarifying Expedite Requests

USCIS is updating guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify how USCIS considers expedite requests related to government interests and requests related to emergencies or urgent humanitarian situations, including travel-related requests. This update also clarifies how to make an expedite request and explains how USCIS processes expedite requests.

Government Interests

USCIS Issues New Guidance on EB-1 Eligibility Criteria for Individuals with Extraordinary Ability

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is issuing policy guidance in the Policy Manual to further clarify the types of evidence that USCIS may evaluate to determine eligibility for extraordinary ability (E11) EB-1 immigrant visa classifications.

This policy guidance:

Guidance on Paying Fees and Completing Information for Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers

Release Date 

Be sure to provide the correct payment and complete information when filing Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers. Since publishing both a new edition of this form and a new fee rule in April 2024, USCIS has had to reject an unusually high number of Form I-140 petitions at intake because of incorrect fees and missing information.