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Policy Manual
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Book outline for Policy Manual
  • Policy Manual
    • Search
    • Updates
    • Table of Contents
    • Volume 1 - General Policies and Procedures
    • Volume 2 - Nonimmigrants
    • Volume 3 - Humanitarian Protection and Parole
    • Volume 4 - Refugees and Asylees
    • Volume 5 - Adoptions
    • Volume 6 - Immigrants
      • Part A - Immigrant Policies and Procedures
      • Part B - Family-Based Immigrants
      • Part C - Adam Walsh Act
      • Part D - Surviving Relatives
      • Part E - Employment-Based Immigration
      • Part F - Employment-Based Classifications
      • Part G - Investors
      • Part H - Designated and Special Immigrants
        • Chapter 1 - Purpose and Background
        • Chapter 2 - Religious Workers
        • Chapter 3 - Panama Canal Zone Employees
        • Chapter 4 - Certain Physicians [Reserved]
        • Chapter 5 - Certain G-4 or NATO-6 Employees and their Family Members [Reserved]
        • Chapter 6 - Members of the U.S. Armed Forces
        • Chapter 7 - Certain Broadcasters [Reserved]
        • Chapter 8 - Certain Iraqi Nationals
        • Chapter 9 - Certain Afghan Nationals
        • Chapter 10 - Certain Iraqi and Afghan Translators and Interpreters
        • Chapter 11 - Decision and Post-Adjudication
      • Part I - Family-Based Conditional Permanent Residents
      • Part J - Special Immigrant Juveniles
      • Part K - CNMI Resident Status
    • Volume 7 - Adjustment of Status
    • Volume 8 - Admissibility
    • Volume 9 - Waivers and Other Forms of Relief
    • Volume 10 - Employment Authorization
    • Volume 11 - Travel and Identity Documents
    • Volume 12 - Citizenship and Naturalization
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  3. Volume 6 - Immigrants
  4. Part H - Designated and Special Immigrants

Part H - Designated and Special Immigrants

Content navigation tabs
  • Guidance
  • Resources (19)
  • Appendices (0)
  • Updates (7)
  • History (0)

Resources

Legal Authorities

26 U.S.C. 501 - Exemption from tax on corporations, certain trusts, etc.

73 FR 72275 (PDF) - Special immigrant and nonimmigrant religious workers

8 CFR 204.5 - Petitions for employment-based immigrants

8 CFR 204.9 - Special immigrant status for certain aliens who have served honorably (or are enlisted to serve) in the Armed Forces of the United States for at least 12 years

INA 101(a)(27) - Definitions of certain special immigrants

INA 201 - Worldwide level of immigration

INA 202 - Numerical limitations on individual foreign states

INA 203 - Allocation of immigrant visas

INA 203(b)(4) - Certain special immigrants

INA 204(a)(1)(G)(i) - Petitioning procedure

INA 204, 8 CFR 204 - Procedure for granting immigrant status

Legal Settlement Notice (PDF, 44.09 KB) - Ruiz-Diaz v. United States

Pub. L. 109-163 (PDF) - Section 1059 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006, as amended – Special immigrant status for persons serving as translators with U.S. armed forces

Pub. L. 110-181 (PDF) - Section 1244 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, as amended – Special immigrant status for certain Iraqis

Pub. L. 111-8 (PDF) - Section 602(b), Title VI of the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009

Forms

G-28, Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative

I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion

I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status

Other Materials

How to Use the USCIS Policy Manual Website (PDF, 2.99 MB)

Appendices

No appendices available at this time.

Updates

POLICY ALERT - Guidance for Special Immigrant and Nonimmigrant Religious Workers

August 30, 2022

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to reorganize and expand on existing guidance related to special immigrant religious workers.

Read More
Affected Sections

2 USCIS-PM O.3 - Chapter 3 - Petitioner Requirements

6 USCIS-PM H.2 - Chapter 2 - Religious Workers

POLICY ALERT - Legislative Changes and Transition Affecting Afghan and Iraqi Special Immigrant Visas

July 20, 2022

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual on the transition of the responsibility to adjudicate certain Afghan special immigrant visa (SIV) petitions to the U.S. Department of State (DOS) and to incorporate other changes to the Afghan and Iraqi SIV classifications resulting from the Emergency Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021.

Read More
Affected Sections

6 USCIS-PM H.1 - Chapter 1 - Purpose and Background

6 USCIS-PM H.8 - Chapter 8 - Certain Iraqi Nationals

6 USCIS-PM H.9 - Chapter 9 - Certain Afghan Nationals

6 USCIS-PM H.10 - Chapter 10 - Certain Iraqi and Afghan Translators and Interpreters

7 USCIS-PM F.10 - Chapter 10 - Certain Afghan and Iraqi Nationals

Technical Update - Program Extension and Visa Numbers for Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans Who Were Employed by or on Behalf of the U.S. Government

May 14, 2021

This technical update directs readers to visit the USCIS webpage for the latest information on Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program extensions and visa numbers for Afghans who were employed by or on behalf of the U.S. Government.

Affected Sections

6 USCIS-PM H.1 - Chapter 1 - Purpose and Background

6 USCIS-PM H.9 - Chapter 9 - Certain Afghan Nationals

7 USCIS-PM F.10 - Chapter 10 - Certain Afghan and Iraqi Nationals

Technical Update - Replacing the Term “Alien”

May 11, 2021

This technical update replaces all instances of the term “alien” with “noncitizen” or other appropriate terms throughout the Policy Manual where possible, as used to refer to a person who meets the definition provided in INA 101(a)(3) [“any person not a citizen or national of the United States”].

Affected Sections

1 USCIS-PM - Volume 1 - General Policies and Procedures

2 USCIS-PM - Volume 2 - Nonimmigrants

6 USCIS-PM - Volume 6 - Immigrants

7 USCIS-PM - Volume 7 - Adjustment of Status

8 USCIS-PM - Volume 8 - Admissibility

9 USCIS-PM - Volume 9 - Waivers and Other Forms of Relief

10 USCIS-PM - Volume 10 - Employment Authorization

11 USCIS-PM - Volume 11 - Travel and Identity Documents

12 USCIS-PM - Volume 12 - Citizenship and Naturalization

Technical Update - Incorporating Existing Guidance into the Policy Manual

July 30, 2020

This technical update is part of an initiative to move existing policy guidance from the Adjudicator’s Field Manual (AFM) into the Policy Manual. This update does not make major substantive changes but consolidates and incorporates existing AFM guidance into the Policy Manual, streamlining USCIS’ immigration policy while removing obsolete information. This guidance replaces Chapters 22.3 and 26 of the AFM, related appendices, and policy memoranda.

Affected Sections

6 USCIS-PM H - Part H - Designated and Special Immigrants

7 USCIS-PM Q - Part Q - Rescission of Lawful Permanent Residence

Technical Update - Moving the Adjudicator’s Field Manual Content into the USCIS Policy Manual

May 21, 2020

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is updating and incorporating relevant Adjudicator’s Field Manual (AFM) content into the USCIS Policy Manual. As that process is ongoing, USCIS has moved any remaining AFM content to its corresponding USCIS Policy Manual Part, in PDF format, until relevant AFM content has been properly incorporated into the USCIS Policy Manual. To the extent that a provision in the USCIS Policy Manual conflicts with remaining AFM content or Policy Memoranda, the updated information in the USCIS Policy Manual prevails. To find remaining AFM content, see the crosswalk (PDF, 350.49 KB) between the AFM and the Policy Manual.

Affected Sections

1 USCIS-PM - Volume 1 - General Policies and Procedures

2 USCIS-PM - Volume 2 - Nonimmigrants

3 USCIS-PM - Volume 3 - Humanitarian Protection and Parole

4 USCIS-PM - Volume 4 - Refugees and Asylees

5 USCIS-PM - Volume 5 - Adoptions

6 USCIS-PM - Volume 6 - Immigrants

7 USCIS-PM - Volume 7 - Adjustment of Status

8 USCIS-PM - Volume 8 - Admissibility

9 USCIS-PM - Volume 9 - Waivers and Other Forms of Relief

11 USCIS-PM - Volume 11 - Travel and Identity Documents

12 USCIS-PM - Volume 12 - Citizenship and Naturalization

Technical Update - Replacing the Term “Foreign National”

October 08, 2019

This technical update replaces all instances of the term “foreign national” with “alien” throughout the Policy Manual as used to refer to a person who meets the definition provided in INA 101(a)(3) [“any person not a citizen or national of the United States”].

Affected Sections

1 USCIS-PM - Volume 1 - General Policies and Procedures

2 USCIS-PM - Volume 2 - Nonimmigrants

6 USCIS-PM - Volume 6 - Immigrants

7 USCIS-PM - Volume 7 - Adjustment of Status

8 USCIS-PM - Volume 8 - Admissibility

9 USCIS-PM - Volume 9 - Waivers and Other Forms of Relief

10 USCIS-PM - Volume 10 - Employment Authorization

11 USCIS-PM - Volume 11 - Travel and Identity Documents

12 USCIS-PM - Volume 12 - Citizenship and Naturalization

Version History

No historical versions available.

0
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  • Chapter 1 - Purpose and Background
  • Chapter 2 - Religious Workers
  • Chapter 3 - Panama Canal Zone Employees
  • Chapter 4 - Certain Physicians [Reserved]
  • Chapter 5 - Certain G-4 or NATO-6 Employees and their Family Members [Reserved]
  • Chapter 6 - Members of the U.S. Armed Forces
  • Chapter 7 - Certain Broadcasters [Reserved]
  • Chapter 8 - Certain Iraqi Nationals
  • Chapter 9 - Certain Afghan Nationals
  • Chapter 10 - Certain Iraqi and Afghan Translators and Interpreters
  • Chapter 11 - Decision and Post-Adjudication
Current as of January 25, 2023
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