Green card holders looking to bring family members to the United States may now have to navigate a more rigid set of procedures. In a move signaling tighter oversight, U.S. immigration authorities have introduced significant changes aimed at strengthening how family-based green card petitions are reviewed.
These changes are part of a revised guidance released by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), now incorporated into its central policy manual. The update sharpens the agency’s ability to assess family relationships by enforcing more detailed requirements and checks. The intention is to improve consistency and transparency in how officers handle cases, but it also means applicants should prepare for a more demanding vetting process.
The guidelines now offer clearer explanations of eligibility criteria, necessary documents, and what to expect during interviews. USCIS has also restructured parts of its policy manual by removing certain sections and reorganizing others to eliminate confusion. A major highlight of the update is its sharper focus on proving genuine family relationships like marriage-based petitions, especially will face deeper scrutiny to prevent any type of fraud and to make sure all filings meet legal standards.
The updated immigration guidance, now part of Volume 6 of the USCIS Policy Manual is officially in effect and applies to all pending as well as newly filed family-based green card applications from the date it was published.
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At its core, the update tries to clear up long-standing confusion around who qualifies, what kind of documentation is needed, and how USCIS makes decisions on these petitions. It also breaks down when interviews are mandatory and under what conditions an applicant might be issued a Notice to Appear (NTA), which could put them into removal proceedings. For families navigating this already complicated process, the changes offer more structure but also signal a closer look at the details.
The revised rules go further by explaining how USCIS handles cases that involve multiple or overlapping petitions. It also clarifies when U.S. citizens can submit Form I-130 directly to the Department of State, like when the petitioner is in the military, working for the U.S. government overseas, or during large-scale disruptions that require exceptions to the usual filing routes. If a petition is approved but the beneficiary is no longer eligible to adjust status within the U.S., the case may be rerouted to the National Visa Center instead.
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Importantly, USCIS is also reinforcing the fact that even if an applicant’s petition gets approved, that alone doesn’t protect the applicant from removal. If someone is found to be ineligible or removable for other reasons, an NTA can still be issued.
Under existing U.S. immigration law, green card holders, U.S. citizens, and nationals can petition to bring certain close family members to live with them in the country. This starts with filing Form I-130 to prove the relationship. Eligible relatives include spouses, children, parents, and others who fall under family-based preference categories.