Tagged #i-130
Every article we've published on this topic, sorted by the agency's own announcement date.
Trump Admin Tightens Vetting and Enforcement of Marriage-Based Green Card Cases
USCIS August 2025 policy update intensifies fraud detection and security screening for spouses of U.S. citizens. Practitioners must now prepare for expanded removal referrals, stronger documentation demands, and discretionary adjudication.
Marriage to a U.S. citizen no longer guarantees smooth path to citizenship
Increased USCIS scrutiny of marriage-based immigration petitions now requires 'good moral character' evidence and rigorous vetting. Spouses face deportation risk even with pending petitions.
Trump Administration Tightens Scrutiny of Marriage-Based Immigration: What You Need to Know
Spouses of U.S. citizens face new interview requirements, good moral character evidence demands, and enforcement vulnerability under Trump administration policy shifts affecting family-based green card applications.
USCIS May Now Deny Benefit Requests with Invalid Signatures
An interim final rule effective July 10, 2026 gives USCIS adjudicators explicit authority to deny (not merely reject) immigration benefit requests found to have invalid signatures after acceptance—with fee retention and no cure opportunity.
The 2024 USCIS Fee Rule — biometrics bundled in, concurrent EAD/AP at $0, and what that means for your AOS package
USCIS's 2024 fee rule reshaped the math for adjustment-of-status filings: biometrics fold into the I-485, and the I-765 and I-131 are free when filed concurrently. Here's the new total and how to plan around it.
CSPA Derivative Beneficiaries: How USCIS Calculates the Child's Age Today
The Child Status Protection Act freezes a derivative beneficiary's age — but only if you run the math correctly under the 2023 USCIS policy alert that switched the trigger date.
CSPA and the I-130 Derivative Beneficiary: Reading the Statute the Way USCIS Does
The Child Status Protection Act protects an I-130 derivative child from aging out — if the §203(h) formula, the 'sought to acquire' rule, and the 2023 Dates for Filing trigger all line up.
I-130 Revocation: The §205 Grounds USCIS Uses to Pull Back an Approved Petition
An approved I-130 is not permanent. USCIS revokes under INA §205 every day — automatically in some cases, on notice in others. Here is what triggers each.
Defending an Approved I-140 or I-130 from a USCIS NOIR Under INA §205
An NOIR — notice of intent to revoke — is USCIS announcing it intends to undo an already-approved petition. The 33-day response window and the Matter of Estime good-and-sufficient-cause standard are unforgiving.
I-130 Petitioner Eligibility: What U.S. Citizens vs. LPRs Can Actually File
U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents both file Form I-130, but the relatives each can sponsor and the wait times look very different. Here is the breakdown.
The K-3 Spouse Visa: When It Still Makes Sense (and When It Doesn't)
Created by the LIFE Act as a shortcut for spouses waiting on I-130 adjudication, the K-3 is now administratively closed in most cases. Here is when it still has a real use.
Marriage-Based Green Card Interviews: Stokes, Separation, and the Bona Fides Record
USCIS's Stokes-style separated interviews are the highest-stakes step in a marriage-based case. The bona fides record decides whether the case survives them.