USCIS Adopted Decisions

The Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) has jurisdiction over the appeals from decisions on most immigration petitions and applications that are entered by USCIS regional service centers and district offices.

There are numerous types of petitions and applications within the AAO’s jurisdiction, including employment-based immigration petitions, various waivers, legalization, and temporary protected status applications. The AAO produces appellate decisions that provide fair and legally supportable resolutions of individual applications and petitions for immigration benefits. These decisions provide guidance to applicants, petitioners, practitioners and government officials in the correct interpretation of immigration law, regulations and policy.

The decisions here are being published by USCIS as adopted.  All USCIS officers should follow the interpretation and reasoning of these decisions in all proceedings. 

Related Files

• 06-0001 - H-1B Recapture of Time Spent Outside the United States (267KB PDF)
  
  
• 06-0002 - AC21 Portability Issue in Denial of Adjustment Application (667KB PDF)
  
  
• 06-0003 - Preservation of Residence, Standard of Proof (428KB PDF)
  
  
• 06-0004 - Documentation of Cuban Citizenship (213KB PDF)
  
  
• 07-0005 - SIJ Issues: Specific Consent and Jurisdiction of Juvenile Court (174KB PDF)
  
  
• 07-0006 - Documentation of Cuban Citizenship (Buschini overruled) (164KB PDF)