USCIS Updates Guidance in Policy Manual

Workforce
 
Published:August 26, 2025
Dana Ritchie
​The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced it is updating guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual regarding "the factors that officers consider in certain benefit requests where an exercise of discretion is required.” Separately, USCIS has “expanded the types of benefit requests that receive social media vetting.” 

Full details on these updates from USCIS are here.  

The announcement also noted that the guidance, contained in Volume 1 of the Policy Manual, is effective immediately and applies to requests pending or filed on or after the publication date. The guidance contained in the Policy Manual is controlling and supersedes any related prior guidance.