Although many of the government’s anti-immigration actions have been met with resistance by the courts, pundits, and the people, there has been an observable increased vetting in Green Card and Citizenship interviews. Immigration lawyers across the country have expressed concern over longer interviews, irrelevant questioning, and unnecessary requests for additional evidence.
Most recently, USCIS Field Offices have been asking during the interview for prior and current I-9 employment eligibility verification forms. Typically requested to determine benefit eligibility for noncitizens, I-9s are now being used to screen for false social security numbers or false claims of US citizenship. Because I-9s are maintained by employers, this increased scrutiny now adds another hurdle to the application process as applicants reach out to procure the documents. In instances where the I-9 is unavailable, applicants may consider submitting an explanatory statement as well as documented employment verification.
While USCIS officers are directed only to make requests for additional evidence when there is a valid and relevant reason for the request, applicants should be prepared for interviews with additional probing and longer application processing times.
As always, Dayzad Law will continue to monitor changes at USCIS to ensure that our clients are being adjudicated in a fair, legal, and timely manner.