Overview

• On August 1, USCIS updated its policy manual to require deeper marriage and kinship checks for all I-130 petitions, including mandatory in-person interviews and documentary proof such as photos, joint accounts and affidavits.
• The agency expressly warns that filing a family-based petition does not grant immigration status or block deportation proceedings at any stage of review.
• New guidelines cover both existing and newly filed petitions by civilians and U.S. military personnel, with interagency notifications now required when overseas I-130 approvals occur.
• USCIS has already used its expanded authority to launch deportation proceedings, detaining a Brazilian green card applicant in Orlando after discovering an outstanding arrest warrant during her interview.
• Immigration experts caution that the measures, justified as anti-fraud and national security safeguards, risk deterring lawful applicants and sowing fear among immigrant families.