US Tightens Rules for Visa, Green Card Applications

The United States has tightened its immigration benefit processing rules, allowing US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officers to deny incomplete or insufficiently documented applications for visas, green cards and other immigration benefits without first seeking additional evidence. 

According to a USCIS press release, applicants must establish their eligibility for an immigration benefit at the time of filing. If they fail to demonstrate eligibility or do not submit all the required initial evidence, USCIS



may deny the application without issuing a Request for Evidence (RFE) or a Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID).

The agency said its application forms and instructions clearly specify the evidence required for each immigration benefit, enabling applicants to submit complete requests at the time of filing. USCIS said the policy aligns with the long-standing regulatory authority of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), strengthens the integrity of the immigration system and makes it more difficult to file frivolous benefit requests.