USCIS Boosts Security: New Screening for Asylees & Refugees

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is updating its Policy Manual to clarify interview criteria for asylees, refugees, and their derivative family members applying for permanent residence. This immediate policy update reestablishes uniform screening and vetting standards, aiming to enhance program integrity by better detecting fraud, misrepresentation, national security threats, and public safety risks. USCIS emphasizes this aligns with Executive Order 14161, which focuses on protecting the U.S. from foreign threats. The agency is returning to more secure screening policies for asylum and refugee processes, with specific criteria for referring cases based on identity verification, immigration record sufficiency, fingerprint checks, admissibility concerns, or national security considerations.