This new policy went into effect Tuesday and it could affect thousands looking to legally remain in the United States. This change, known as the updated guidance, will affect almost all immigration applications, petitions and requests, including U.S. citizenship, permanent residence and visa extensions, according to a USCIS announcement.
While before this change there was a courtesy extended to those who sent in applications with errors, oversights, or missing documents. This was known as Request for Evidence (RFE) or Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID), and it granted the applicant an opportunity to further explain the immigration case.
With the new guidelines and changes, adjudicators reviewing these applications can deny them without warning or notice to the applicant, at their own discretion.
“Without the notices, applicants won’t have the opportunity to intervene before a decision is made, potentially adding months or years of extra paperwork and thousands of dollars in fees to the already lengthy process,” said an article posted to ProPublica, a nonprofit news agency that focuses on investigative journalism.
If you're in this process be sure to pay extra attention to everything you're doing and check and double check the requirements and requested documents to avoid further issues.