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Significant Guidance

This page provides access to significant and economically significant guidance documents issued by USCIS and those issued by the Immigration and Naturalization Service that apply to USCIS, as required by Executive Order 13422, Further Amendment to Executive Order 12866 on Regulatory Planning and Review (72 FR 2763, published January 23, 2007) and the Office of Management and Budget's Good Guidance Bulletin (GGP) (72 FR 3432, published January 25, 2007).

Public Comment on Significant Guidance Documents

USCIS will post significant guidance documents on the Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) website at www.regulations.gov. This site will provide a public forum for submission of comments and for requests to amend or issue significant guidance documents. To submit comments on significant guidance documents, please follow the instructions on the FDMS website using the docket number associated with the significant guidance document (as indicated below).

Guidance documents represent the current thinking of USCIS on a topic. They do not create or confer any rights for or on any person and do not operate to bind USCIS or the public.

Feedback or Complaints

Members of the public who have feedback or complaints regarding significant guidance documents should contact USCIS. If you have a complaint regarding a USCIS significant guidance document or believe a USCIS employee is not following the guidance requirements of Executive Order 13422 or OMB's GGP Bulletin, please contact USCIS.Significant.Guidance@dhs.gov. In order to ensure proper processing of your comment, please include the words "SIGNIFICANT GUIDANCE: [Insert name of significant guidance document]" in the subject line of your email message. Please note: Under the Privacy Act, we cannot provide any information about a pending application or petition for benefits, or answer any case-specific questions. If you have been instructed to send USCIS written communications, or to contact USCIS regarding a case, sending an e-mail to this address will not satisfy those instructions.

If the issue is not resolved, please contact the Department's Office of the General Counsel, Regulatory Affairs at SignificantGuidance@dhs.gov. In order to ensure proper processing of your comment, please include the words "SIGNIFICANT GUIDANCE: [Insert name of significant guidance document]" in the subject line of your email message. Public comments under these procedures are for the benefit of the agency and do not require formal response by the agency.

USCIS will review requests, complaints and questions to determine whether any action is warranted and, if so, what action. USCIS will determine whether it needs to take any action based on the nature and timeliness of the information submitted, the significance of any modifications requested, the magnitude of any modifications requested, and the resource requirements for any modifications requested.


July, 2006


Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (61KB PDF)
Michael Aytes HQOPS Docket # USCIS-2008-0071
07/28/2006

International Marriage Broker Regulation Act Implementation Guidance (96KB PDF)
Michael Aytes HQOPS Docket # USCIS-2008-0070
07/21/2006


May, 2006


Disclosure of Certain Information Relating to Criminal Histories of Petitioners to Potential Visa Beneficiaries (57KB PDF)
Robert C. Divine HQUSCIS Docket # USCIS-2008-0069
05/03/2006


March, 2006


Effect of Perez-Gonzalez v. Ashcroft on adjudication of Form I-212 applications filed by aliens who are subject to reinstated removal orders under INA ยง 241(a)(5) (669KB PDF)
Michael Aytes HQOPS, Dea Carpenter HQOCC Docket # USCIS-2008-0068
03/31/2006


December, 2005


Interim Guidance for Processing I-140 Employment-Based Immigrant Petitions and I-485 and H-1B Petitions Affected by the American Competetiveness in the Twenty-First Century Act of 2000 (AC21) (Public Law 106-313) (94KB PDF)
Michael Aytes HQOPS Docket # USCIS-2008-0067
12/27/2005


October, 2005


Eligibility to Self-Petition as a Battered Spouse or Child of a U.S. Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident Within Two Years of the Abuser's Loss of Status; (83KB PDF)
Michael Aytes HQOPS (AFM Update AD05-12)
10/31/2005


March, 2005


Clarification of Certain Eligibility Requirements Pertaining to an Application to Adjust Status under Section 245(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (194KB PDF)
William R. Yates HQOPS Docket # USCIS-2008-0063
03/09/2005


August, 2004


The Child Status Protection Act - Children of Asylees and Refugees (195KB PDF)
William R. Yates HQOPS Docket # USCIS-2008-0064
08/17/2004


May, 2004


Assessment of Deferred Action in Requests for Interim Relief from U Nonimmigrant Status Eligible Aliens in Removal Proceedings (140KB PDF)
William R. Yates /s/ Janis Sposato HQOPS Docket # USCIS-2008-0062
05/06/2004


April, 2004


The Significance of a Prior CIS Approval of a Nonimmigrant Petition in the Context of a Subsequent Determination Regarding Eligibility for Extension of Petition Validity (138KB PDF)
William R. Yates HQOPS Docket # USCIS-2008-0061
04/23/2004


March, 2004


Section 6 of the Child Status Protection Act (93KB PDF)
Joe Cuddihy HQOPS Docket # USCIS-2008-0059
03/23/2004


January, 2004


Lifting of Numerical Cap on Mexican NAFTA Nonimmigrant Professionals ("TN") and Free Trade Agreements with Chile and Singapore (116KB PDF)
William R. Yates /s/ Janis Sposato HQOPS Docket # USCIS-2008-0060
01/08/2004


October, 2003


Centralization of Interim Relief for U Nonimmigrant Status Applicants (428KB PDF)
William R. Yates /s/ Janis Sposato HQOPS Docket # USCIS-2008-0057
10/08/2003


August, 2003


Continuing Validity of Form I-140 Petition in accordance with Section 106(c) of the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-First Century Act of 2000 (AC21) (159KB PDF)
William R. Yates /s/ Janis Sposato HQOPS Docket # USCIS-2008-0056
08/04/2003


July, 2003


Processing Derivative Refugees and Asylees under the Child Status Protection Act (104KB PDF)
Michael J. Petrucelli HQUSCIS Docket # USCIS-2008-0055
07/23/2003


June, 2003


Procedures for Implementing the Waiving of the Oath of Renunciation and Allegiance for the Naturalization of Aliens Having Certain Disabilities (147KB PDF)
William R. Yates /s/ Janis Sposato HQOPS Docket # USCIS-2008-0058
06/30/2003


April, 2003


Effect of Grandparent's Death on Naturalization under INA Section 322 (87KB PDF)
William R. Yates /s/ Janis Sposato HQISD Docket # USCIS-2008-0054
04/17/2003

Filing a Waiver of the Joint Filing Requirement Prior to Final Termination of the Marriage (105KB PDF)
William R. Yates /s/ Janis Sposato HQISD Docket # USCIS-2008-0053
04/10/2003


January, 2003


Addition of Citizen Grandparents and Citizen Legal Guardians as Eligible Applicants Pursuant to INA 322 (113KB PDF)
William R. Yates /s/ Janis Sposato HQISD Docket # USCIS-2008-0052
01/21/2003

Guidance on Making the Naturalization Process Accessible to Applicants with Disabilities (250KB PDF)
William R. Yates HQOPS (Naturalization) Docket # USCIS-2008-0051
01/21/2003


November, 2002


Guidance on Adjudication of H-1B Petitions Filed on Behalf of Nurses (142KB PDF)
Johnny N. Williams HQOPS (Services/H-1) Docket # USCIS-2008-0050
11/27/2002


October, 2002


Instructions Regarding the Expanded Meaning of Section 319(a) (87KB PDF)
William R. Yates HQISD Docket # USCIS-2008-0001
10/15/2002


August, 2002


H.R. 1209 - Child Status Protection Act (41KB PDF)
Joseph E. Langlois HQASM Docket # USCIS-2008-0048
08/07/2002


June, 2002


Policy Change - Public Law 107-150, The Family Sponsor Immigration Act of 2002: Use of Substitute Sponsor if Visa Petitioner Has Died (109KB PDF)
Johnny N. Williams HQOPS Docket # USCIS-2008-0047
06/15/2002


April, 2002


Implementation Instructions for Section 114 of Public Law 107-77, "Department of Commerce, Justice, State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2002," 115 Stat. 748 (199KB PDF)
William R. Yages HQISD
04/10/2002


March, 2002


Procedures for the Preservation of Immigration Benefits for Victims of Terrorism (Title IV, Subtitle C (Sections 421 - 428), of the USA PATRIOT Act) P.L. 107-56 (October 26, 2001) (224KB PDF)
Michael A. Pearson HQOPS
03/08/2002


January, 2002


Removal of Conditional Resident Status if Conditional Resident is the Spouse of an Individual Serving Abroad in the U.S. Armed Forces as Part of Operation Enduring Freedom (32KB PDF)
Michael A. Pearson /s/ Joseph R. Greene HQOPS
01/17/2002

Eligibility to Self-Petition as a Battered Spouse of a U.S. Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident Within Two Years of Divorce (15KB PDF)
Michael A. Pearson HQOPS Docket # USCIS-2008-0066
01/02/2002


November, 2001


Social Security Cards and the Adjudication of H-1B Petition (16KB PDF)
Thomas Cook HQADN
11/20/2001


June, 2001


Initial Guidance for Processing H-1B Petitions as Affected by the "American Competitiveness in the Twenty-First Century Act" (Public Law 106-313) and Related Legislation (Public Law 106-311) and (Public Law 106-396) (186KB PDF)
Michael D. Cronin HQPGM
06/19/2001


May, 2001


Effect of Enactment of the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 on the affidavit of support requirement under INA 212(a)(4) and 213A (145KB PDF)
Michael D. Cronin HQPGM Docket # USCIS-2008-0040
05/17/2001

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