US Citizenship and Immigration Services (used to be BCIS, INS)
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.
USCIS is revising the guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to align with the Classification for Victims of Severe Forms of Trafficking in Persons; Eligibility for “T” Nonimmigrant Status Final Rule.
Why rejection rate of NIWs is increasing? Is there any change in eligibility criteria, etc.?
The USCIS is currently focusing on two main aspects when evaluating NIW petitions:
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.
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 recently updated the following form:
10/11/2024 12:02 PM EDT
Edition Date: 10/11/24. You can find the edition date at the bottom of the page of Form G-1055, Fee Schedule.
For more information, please visit the Forms Updates page.
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
Release Date
USCIS updated guidance on the International Entrepreneur Rule in the Policy Manual to clarify the required triennial increase in investment, revenue, and other thresholds, and to clarify how USCIS arranges biometrics appointments for certain applicants.
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:
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.
Release Date
Eligible Liberians can now apply for an EAD valid through June 30, 2026