公民及移民服務局(USCIS)13日發布一項政策備忘錄，加強移民官的自由量裁權；從9月11日起收到的申請，如果沒有提交全部證明文件或所提供材料不合要求，可以直接拒絕，不必先寄發補件(RFE)或否決意向(NOID)通知。

新規涉及的移民申請類別，包括各類非移民簽證/身分以及移民申請，例如外籍勞工H-1B申請及延期與轉換，商務及旅遊簽證(B-1/B-2)轉換學生身分(F-1/F-2)，跨國公司經理簽證(L-1)，藝術家簽證(O-1)；還有親屬移民(I-130)、職業移民（EB類）、調整身分(I-485)等。

移民局說，根據加州和紐約法庭發布的初步禁制令，新規不會改變有關DACA裁決的RFE和NOID政策及做法。

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新政策為移民官恢復全部裁量權，使他們不必先發出RFE或NOID即可拒絕申請、陳情和要求。這是為了阻止用瑣屑或空洞申請「占位子」，並鼓勵申請人一次性提出規定的證明。

如當事人沒有申請福利或要求的合法基礎，或申請的福利或救濟計畫已終止，移民官可拒絕申請；如申請福利時沒有出具所有規定的證明，移民局也可以無法建立資格拒絕申請。

移民局局長西斯納說：「移民系統對瑣屑或無理要求不堪負荷，經由這個早就應該採取的政策改變，移民局為我們的移民官恢復全面裁量權，以駁回對移民福利不完整和不合資格的申請和請願。」

西斯納說：「這樣做將能阻止企圖利用這個系統的瑣屑和空洞申請，確保我們的資源不致浪費，最後改善本機構完全依法有效和公平裁決移民福利申請的能力。」

2013年的政策備忘錄，基本上限制移民官未發出RFE或NOID即拒絕申請的權力，規定當事人提出申請時出具的證明如未能建立資格，除非「沒有批准的可能性」，應先發出RFE。

WASHINGTON - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today posted a policy memorandum (PDF, 113 KB) (PM) that provides guidance to USCIS adjudicators regarding their discretion to deny an application, petition, or request without first issuing a Request for Evidence (RFE) or Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID) when required initial evidence was not submitted or the evidence of record fails to establish eligibility. 

This updated guidance is effective September 11, 2018 and applies to all applications, petitions, and requests, except for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) adjudications, received after that date. Due to preliminary injunctions issued by courts in California and New York, this new PM does not change the RFE and NOID policies and practices that apply to the adjudication of DACA requests.

“For too long, our immigration system has been bogged down with frivolous or meritless claims that slow down processing for everyone, including legitimate petitioners. Through this long overdue policy change, USCIS is restoring full discretion to our immigration officers to deny incomplete and ineligible applications and petitions submitted for immigration benefits,” said USCIS Director L. Francis Cissna. “Doing so will discourage frivolous filings and skeletal applications used to game the system, ensure our resources are not wasted, and ultimately improve our agency’s ability to efficiently and fairly adjudicate requests for immigration benefits in full accordance with our laws.”  

The 2013 PM addressed policies for the issuance of RFEs and NOIDs when the evidence submitted at the time of filing did not establish eligibility. In practice, the 2013 PM limited denials without RFEs or NOIDs to statutory denials by providing that RFEs should be issued unless there was “no possibility” of approval. This “no possibility” policy limited the application of an adjudicator’s discretion.

The policy implemented in this guidance restores to the adjudicator full discretion to deny applications, petitions, and requests without first issuing an RFE or a NOID, when appropriate. This policy is intended to discourage frivolous or substantially incomplete filings used as “placeholder” filings and encourage applicants, petitioners, and requestors to be diligent in collecting and submitting required evidence.  

USCIS will continue issuing statutory denials when appropriate without first issuing an RFE or NOID when the applicant, petitioner, or requestor has no legal basis for the benefit/request sought, or submits a request for a benefit or relief under a program that has been terminated. 
If all required initial evidence is not submitted with the benefit request, USCIS, in its discretion, may deny the benefit request for failure to establish eligibility based on lack of required initial evidence. Examples of filings that may be denied without sending an RFE or NOID include, but are not limited to:     

• Waiver applications submitted with  little to no supporting evidence; or
• Cases where the regulations, the statute, or form instructions require the submission of an official document or other form of evidence establishing eligibility at the time of filing and there is no such submission. For example, an Affidavit of Support (Form I-864), if required, was not submitted with an Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (Form I-485).

This PM updates Chapters 10.5(a) and 10.5(b) of the USCIS Adjudicator’s Field Manual and contains an “additional considerations” section. The policy in this “additional considerations” section is not new, and is nearly identical to the policy contained in the superseded 2013 PM. 

For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter (@uscis), Instagram (/uscis), YouTube (/uscis), and Facebook (/uscis).