Overview

• The policy, effective August 1, applies immediately to both pending and newly filed I-130 petitions across a backlog of over 2.4 million cases.
• Approval of a family-based petition no longer confers legal status, and officers may now issue Notices to Appear if beneficiaries are deemed removable under immigration law.
• USCIS has mandated deeper documentation of relationship evidence and in-person interviews, with new protocols to detect fraudulent or frivolous petitions.
• Guidance clarifies when approved petitions are forwarded to the State Department’s National Visa Center and allows U.S. citizens abroad to file I-130 forms directly with the Department of State.
• Thousands of applicants, notably Indian family-sponsored cases, face longer processing times and heightened uncertainty under the security-first vetting approach.