United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced that effective March 23, 2023, the service’s deadline extension policy initially instated in March 2020 will be terminated. As of March 23, 2023, petitioners and applicants no longer have an additional sixty days to respond to agency requests. Instead, responses must be addressed by the deadline specified in the USCIS notice.
Read moreUSCIS Further Extends Flexibility for Responding to Agency Requests
In response to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, US Citizenship & Immigration Services (“USCIS”) is continuing to extend the flexibilities it originally announced almost three years ago, on March 30, 2020. USCIS’ 60-day deadline extension policy for responses to various agency actions has been extended through March 23, 2023, to assist applicants, petitioners, and requestors who are responding to:
Requests for Evidence;
Continuations to Request Evidence (N-14);
Notices of Intent to Deny;
Notices of Intent to Revoke;
Notices of Intent to Rescind;
Notices of Intent to Terminate regional centers; and
Motions to Reopen an N-400 Pursuant to 8 CFR 335.5, Receipt of Derogatory Information After Grant.
USCIS Once Again Extends Flexibility for Responding to Agency Requests
In response to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, US Citizenship & Immigration Services (“USCIS”) is continuing to extend the flexibilities it originally announced over two and a half years ago, on March 30, 2020. USCIS’ 60-day deadline extension policy for responses to various agency actions has been extended through January 24, 2023, to assist applicants, petitioners, and requestors who are responding to:
Requests for Evidence;
Continuations to Request Evidence (N-14);
Notices of Intent to Deny;
Notices of Intent to Revoke;
Notices of Intent to Rescind;
Notices of Intent to Terminate regional centers; and
Motions to Reopen an N-400 Pursuant to 8 CFR 335.5, Receipt of Derogatory Information After Grant.
USCIS Extends Flexibility for Responding to Agency Requests and Will Permanently Accept Scanned Signatures
In response to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, US Citizenship & Immigration Services (“USCIS”) is yet again extending the flexibilities it originally announced over two years ago, on March 30, 2020. USCIS’ 60-day deadline extension policy for responses to various agency actions has been extended through October 23, 2022, to assist applicants, petitioners, and requestors who are responding to:
Requests for Evidence;
Continuations to Request Evidence (N-14);
Notices of Intent to Deny;
Notices of Intent to Revoke;
Notices of Intent to Rescind;
Notices of Intent to Terminate regional centers;
Motions to Reopen an N-400 Pursuant to 8 CFR 335.5, Receipt of Derogatory Information After Grant.
USCIS Extends Flexibility for Responding to Agency Requests
In response to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, US Citizenship & Immigration Services (“USCIS”) is once again extending the flexibilities it originally announced two years ago, on March 30, 2020. USCIS’ 60-day deadline extension policy for responses to various agency actions has been extended through July 25, 2022, to assist applicants, petitioners, and requestors who are responding to:
• Requests for Evidence;
• Continuations to Request Evidence (N-14);
• Notices of Intent to Deny;
• Notices of Intent to Revoke;
• Notices of Intent to Rescind;
• Notices of Intent to Terminate regional centers; and
• Motions to Reopen an N-400 Pursuant to 8 CFR 335.5, Receipt of Derogatory Information After Grant.
Read moreUSCIS Extends Flexibility for Responding to Agency Requests
In response to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, US Citizenship & Immigration Services (“USCIS”) is once again extending the flexibilities it originally announced on March 30, 2020. USCIS’ 60-day deadline extension policy for responses to various agency actions has been extended to March 26, 2022, to assist applicants, petitioners, and requestors who are responding to:
Requests for Evidence;
Continuations to Request Evidence (N-14);
Notices of Intent to Deny;
Notices of Intent to Revoke;
Notices of Intent to Rescind;
Notices of Intent to Terminate regional centers;
Motions to Reopen an N-400 Pursuant to 8 CFR 335.5, Receipt of Derogatory Information After Grant.
USCIS Policy Manual Revisions
On June 9, 2021, in accordance with President Biden’s executive order 14012 on restoring faith in our legal immigration system, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released significant policy revisions in an effort to “eliminate unnecessary barriers to our nation’s legal immigration system and reduce burdens on noncitizens who may be eligible for immigration benefits,” said Acting USCIS Director Tracy Renaud.
The new policy guidance updates the USCIS Policy Manual to “clarify the criteria and circumstances for expedited processing; improve request for evidence (RFE) and notice of intent to deny (NOID) guidance; and increase the validity period for initial and renewal employment authorization documents (EADs) for certain noncitizens with pending adjustment of status applications.”
Read moreUSCIS Extends Flexibility for Responding to Agency Requests
In response to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) is yet again extending the flexibilities it originally announced on March 30, 2020, to assist applicants, petitioners, and requestors who are responding to:
Requests for Evidence;
Continuations to Request Evidence (N-14);
Notices of Intent to Deny;
Notices of Intent to Revoke;
Notices of Intent to Rescind;
Notices of Intent to Terminate regional centers;
Motions to Reopen an N-400 Pursuant to 8 CFR 335.5, Receipt of Derogatory Information After Grant;
USCIS Announces Flexibility for Requests for Evidence and Notices of Intent to Deny (UPDATED MARCH 31, 2020)
UPDATE MAY 4, 2020: USCIS has announced additional flexibility for agency requests.
In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the agency is adopting a measure to assist applicants and petitioners responding to requests for evidence (RFEs) and notices of intent to deny (NOIDs) dated between March 1 and May 1, 2020. Applicants and petitioners who receive an RFE or NOID dated between March 1 and May 1, 2020 and submit any responses within sixty calendar days after the response deadline specified in the RFE or NOID will have the response considered by USCIS before any action is taken. The agency notes they are adopting several measures to protect their workforce and community at this time as well as to minimize the immigration consequences for those seeking immigration benefits during this time. USCIS will provide further updates as the situation develops.
UPDATE MARCH 31, 2020: USCIS has clarified that the outlined flexibility regarding submitting RFEs and NOIDs also applies to certain Notices of Intent to Revoke (NOIR) and Notices of Intent to Terminate (NOIT) regional investment centers, as well as certain filing date requirements for Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion. Specifically, the flexibility applies to an RFE, NOID, NOIR, NOIT or appealable decision within AAO jurisdiction and the issuance date listed on the request, notice, or decision is between March 1, 2020 and May 1, 2020, inclusive.
USCIS specifies that any response to an RFE, NOID, NOIR, or NOIT received within sixty calendar days after the response due date set in the request or notice “will be considered by USCIS before any action is taken.” Additionally, any Form I-290B received up to sixty calendar days from the date of the decision will also be considered by USCIS before the agency takes any action. We will post any additional updates from USCIS as we receive them.
USCIS Updates Policy Guidance for When Adjudicators Can Deny Applications and Petitions
Last Friday, US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) published a policy memorandum that provides updated guidance to USCIS adjudicators regarding their “discretion to deny an application, petition, or request without first issuing a Request for Evidence (RFE) or Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID) when required initial evidence was not submitted or the evidence of record fails to establish eligibility,” a move that makes it easier for USCIS officers to deny applications and petitions.
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