US tightens green card rules for married couples, stricter vetting process to follow

PTC News Desk: In a significant policy shift, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued fresh guidelines to tighten scrutiny of family-based green card applications, especially marriage-based petitions. 

The updated guidelines issued on August 1 in the USCIS Policy Manual under the section titled "Family Based Immigrants", is effective immediately to all the pending and new applications including those filed by Green Card holders and US citizens sponsoring foreign spouses or relatives.

"Fraudulent, frivolous, or otherwise non-meritorious family-based immigrant visa petitions erode confidence in family-based pathways to lawful permanent resident (LPR) status and undermine family unity in the United States," USCIS said in its release.

"We are committed to keeping Americans safe by detecting aliens with potentially harmful intent so they can be processed for removal from the United States," the statement added. 

What are the changes ?

The new guidelines have revamped the scrutiny process involving eligibility, filing, interviews, and decisions for family-based petitions.

Stricter Documentation for Marriage-Based Applications

The couple must ensure valid documents verifying evidence of genuine marital relationship that includes joint financial records, photographs taken over time, affidavits from family and friends.

Mandatory in-person interviews

USCIS will now require interviews for most marriage-based petitions. These interviews aim to assess the authenticity of the relationship and may include detailed questions about the couple’s life together.

Closer Review of Immigration History

Individuals who are already residing in US through H-1B or other visas and who apply for green card through marriage will encounter stricter vetting of their legal status and history