I-751 Interview Waivers — USCIS Shifts to a Risk-Based Approach
USCIS updated its Policy Manual on April 7, 2022, replacing 2018 guidance with a risk-based approach to waiving the interview otherwise required for a joint Form I-751.
Published
2022-04-07
Summary
USCIS updated its Policy Manual on April 7, 2022, replacing 2018 guidance with a risk-based approach to waiving the interview otherwise required for a joint Form I-751. An officer may waive the interview when the evidence sufficiently establishes the marriage's bona fides, any required joint-filing waiver is clearly eligible, nothing suggests fraud or misrepresentation in the supporting documents, the facts aren't complex, and there's no disqualifying criminal history.
Current status
This is the current operative standard. An interview being waived reflects that the officer found the case clear-cut on the paper record, not a lesser or lower-confidence approval than one that went through an interview.
Source: USCIS: USCIS Revises Interview Waiver Guidance for Form I-751
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