Policy Memoranda

This page provides access to various policy and procedural memoranda, which guides USCIS adjudicators as they process applications and petitions for immigration benefits while still protecting national security. In addition to the USCIS Policy Manual, USCIS policy memoranda contain the official policies of USCIS and assist immigration officers in rendering decisions. These policy memoranda are to be followed by USCIS officers in the performance of their duties but do not remove their discretion in making adjudicatory decisions. The policy memoranda do not create any substantive or procedural rights or benefits that are legally enforceable by any party against the United States, or its agencies or officers or any other person.

Policy memoranda that have been partially or fully superseded by the USCIS Policy Manual have been stamped and archived in the USCIS History and Library collection. If you have bookmarked links to affected memos, you will now be redirected to the USCIS Policy Manual where you may find current policy.

Subscribe to get notifications of policy updates:

Filter by category

Month

Year

Search by content

Implementation of the Discretionary Exemption under the Immigration and Nationality Act for the Provision of Insignificant Material Support (PDF, 162.03 KB)

May 08, 2015

Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013: Changes to U Nonimmigrant Status and Adjustment of Status Provisions (PDF, 428.83 KB)

April 15, 2015

This policy memorandum (PM) provides guidance on new legislation that amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) affecting U nonimmigrant status programs and related adjustment of status applications. The Adjudicator’s Field Manual (AFM) is updated by revising sections 39.1(a)(9) and 39.1(f)(4) of Chapter 39 (AFM Update AD13-06)

New T Nonimmigrant Derivative Category and T and U Nonimmigrant Adjustment of Status for Applicants from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (PDF, 463.78 KB)

April 15, 2015

This policy memorandum (PM) provides guidance on legislation affecting the T nonimmigrant status program and related T and U nonimmigrant adjustment of status applications. This PM revises Chapters 23.5 and 39.2 of the Adjudicator’s Field Manual (AFM); AFM Update AD14-05.

Updated Processing Requirements for Discretionary Exemptions to Terrorism-Related Inadmissibility Grounds for Activities and Associations Relating to the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PDF, 6.3 MB)

March 13, 2015

This Policy Memorandum (PM) explains the relevant changes in the law and modifies existing instructions for USCIS adjudicators for processing of benefit applications where an applicant is found to have activities or associations with the KDP and PUK

Adjudication of H-1B Petitions for Nursing Occupations (PDF, 225.58 KB)

February 23, 2015

Policy Memorandum: Implementation of the Settlement Agreement in Duran Gonzalez v. Department of Homeland Security (PDF, 208.55 KB)

January 31, 2015

This policy memorandum (PM) ensures the consistent implementation of the Settlement Agreement based on Duran Gonzalez, et al. v. Department of Homeland Security, et al., and amends all earlier memoranda on this subject, including the May 19, 2009, memorandum.

Agency Information Collection Activities: Application for T Nonimmigrant Status, Form I-914, Application for Immediate Family Member of T-1 Recipient, Supplement A, Declaration of Law Enforcement Officer for Victim of Trafficking in Persons, Supplement B; (PDF, 197.11 KB)

February 04, 2014

Field Guidance Pertaining to Applicants for Provisional Unlawful Presence Waivers (PDF, 77.05 KB)

January 24, 2014

Guidance to USCIS Offices on Handling Certain Family-Based Automatic Conversion and Priority Date Retention Requests Pending a Supreme Court Ruling on Mayorkas v. Cuellar de Osorio (PDF, 104.07 KB)

November 21, 2013

Precedent and Non-Precedent Decisions of the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) (PDF, 98.58 KB)

November 18, 2013

This policy memorandum (PM) and accompanying revisions to the Adjudicator’s Field Manual (AFM) guide U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officers on the distinction between and proper use of precedent and non-precedent Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) decisions.

RSS Feed

Filter by category
Adjustment of Status
Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) Decisions
Adoptions
Advance Parole/Travel Authorization
Affidavit of Support
Arrival/Departure Document
Asylum
Biometrics (Fingerprints)
Child Status Protection Act
Citizenship and Naturalization
Civil Surgeons
Cuban Citizenship
EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program
Employment
Employment Based Petitions
Family
Fees and Fee Waivers
Forms
Fraud
Grounds of Inadmissibility
H-1 Visas
Health Care Workers
Humanitarian Parole
Immigrant Physicians
Immigrant Visas
Inadmissibility
L-1 Visas
Medical Requirements
Military
National Security
Nonimmigrant Visas
Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID)
Notice to Appear (NTA)
Policy and Guidance
Refugee
Requests for Evidence (RFEs)
R Visas
Self-Petitions
Special Immigrant Juveniles (SIJ)
Special Immigrants
Special Situations
Students
Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
Terrorism-Related Inadmissibility Grounds (TRIG)
Unlawful Presence
Victim Protection (T, U, VAWA, TVPR)
Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (TVPA)
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)
Visas
Waivers

Topics

Family

Adoption

Military

Humanitarian

Visit the U.S.

Working in the United States

Avoid Scams

Careers at USCIS

Forms

Most Accessed Forms

All Forms

File Online

Family Based Forms

Employment Based Forms

Humanitarian Based Forms

Newsroom

All News

Media Contacts

Multimedia Gallery

Social Media Directory

Speeches, Statements, Testimony

Citizenship

Learners

Educators

Organizations

Grants

Green Card

Green Card Processes and Procedures

Green Card Eligibility Categories

How to Apply for a Green Card

Replace Your Green Card

While Your Green Card Application Is Pending with USCIS

Laws

Legislation

Class Action, Settlement Notices and Agreements

Unlawful Presence and Inadmissibility

Policy Manual

Regulations

Administrative Appeals

Tools

Self-Help Tools

Website Resources

Additional Resources

Policy Memoranda