USCIS tightens vetting
USCIS issued an alert rolling out strengthened screening and vetting procedures that will affect family- and employment-based applications across categories. The agency's changes raise the bar on document and identity checks and could slow routine adjudications as new protocols are implemented. (uscis.gov)
USCIS’ March 30, 2026 alert frames the changes as implementing Executive Order 14161 and cites Presidential Proclamations 10949 and 10998, which the agency says collectively restricted entry from 39 countries it identified as lacking adequate screening information. (uscis.gov) The agency announced three policy memoranda — PM‑602‑0192, PM‑602‑0193, and PM‑602‑0194 — that place holds and require re‑reviews of pending asylum claims, benefits from nationals of high‑risk countries, and diversity‑visa adjustment cases. (uscis.gov) USCIS revised photograph reuse rules to limit photos used for identity documents to images no older than three years and directed biometric identity verification when photos are reused, effective as policy updates published in December 2025. (uscis.gov) The agency shortened maximum validity periods for several EAD categories and set specific rules for parole and TPS‑related EADs to be valid for the shorter of one year or the end date of authorized parole/TPS, with those changes applied to filings pending or submitted on or after July 22, 2025. (uscis.gov) In March 2025 USCIS published a 60‑day notice proposing collection of 24 new data elements — including names, phone numbers, dates of birth, and residences for parents, spouses, siblings, and children — to expand vetting data captured on benefit forms. (immpolicytracking.org) USCIS itself concluded prior screening gaps led to approvals that should not have occurred and said it will re‑review certain approved benefits; university and practitioner alerts have flagged that the expanded reviews and holds are contributing to lengthened processing for green cards, EADs, and naturalization-related cases. (uscis.gov) Separate policy updates affecting family‑based adjudications were published as Policy Manual guidance effective August 1, 2025, while EAD validity and photo‑reuse policy changes took effect in December 2025, creating a staggered implementation timeline across adjustment, employment authorization, and identity‑verification rules. (uscis.gov)
