A policy alert is USCIS guidance to its own officers, not a regulation. It governs how USCIS adjudicates, and it can be revised or withdrawn without rulemaking.
What the document says
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is updating policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual regarding evidentiary standards, Requests for Evidence (RFEs), and Notices of Intent to Deny (NOIDs).
Who the document names
The document does not name specific countries or visa categories in its scope language. Read the original to confirm whether it applies to a particular case.
Related changes
Agency updatePublished Aug 5, 2026
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to require officers to suggest Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) testing as an optional form of evidence to establish a claimed genetic relationship in cases where primary evidence is unavailable, unreliable, or insufficient to establish a claimed genetic relationship, in situations where an officer determines additional evidence is necessary.
Agency updatePublished Nov 27, 2025
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual addressing the President’s recent exercise of his authority under section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) through Presidential Proclamation 10949, “Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals To Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats” (PP 10949) and its impact on USCIS adjudications. On June 5, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island issued an order in Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island, et al. v. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, et al. , 26-cv-00132-JJM-PAS (D.RI.), vacating PM 602-0192, PM 602-0194, and PA 2025-26. The Court entered its final judgment on June 11, 2026. In this case, the plaintiffs are non-governmental organizations and labor unions who represent millions of individuals who filed immigration applications. USCIS strongly disagrees with the Court’s order but will follow its terms pending possible further judicial review. The Policy Memoranda and the Policy Alert were issued based on Presidential Proclamation 10949, Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals To Protect the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats , June 4, 2025, and Presidential Proclamation (PP) 10998, Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals To Protect the Security of the United States , December 16, 2025, and to address the lack of screening, vetting, and the threat to national security and public safety. With entry of final judgment this order is effective immediately, and pursuant to the court-ordered vacatur, applies agency-wide. Thus, the vacatur applies to PM 602-0192, PM 602-0194, and PA 2025-26, which should be treated as if they are not in effect. USCIS will issue updated instructions pending further litigation developments.
Agency updatePublished Aug 19, 2025
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is updating policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual regarding the factors that officers may consider in certain benefit requests where an exercise of discretion is required, including factors relating to aliens’ past requests for parole and any involvement in anti-American or terrorist organizations.
Agency updatePublished Jun 12, 2025
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to address how and when USCIS may or may not disclose derogatory information before issuing an adverse decision to benefit requestors. This update provides USCIS officers with clear guidance on disclosure procedures and ensures that benefit requestors have the opportunity to rebut derogatory information in an adverse decision.
Agency updatePublished Apr 2, 2025
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is updating policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify that USCIS recognizes the two biological sexes, male or female, for purposes of reviewing benefit requests and USCIS-issued documents.
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SubscribeAbout this record
- Source
- USCIS Policy Manual, checked Oct 30, 2026
- Review
- Classified automatically; not reviewed by a person
- The updates page does not publish an effective date. Where the guidance states one, it is in the linked document. This event does not assert an effective date it cannot cite.
- Affected Policy Manual sections, as listed by USCIS: 1 USCIS-PM E.6; 1 USCIS-PM E.9; 1 USCIS-PM E.10 (General Policies and Procedures).
Built from the linked government document by published rules, not by a language model. Information about a published document, not legal advice about anyone’s case. Methodology · Permalink