USCIS facilitates procedures for certain naturalized immigrants which will help their families

For the purpose of facilitate the procedures for three types of naturalized immigrantsincluding improving family reunification processes, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office modified its Policy Manual.

Those people who achieved citizenship under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and those who sought approved T and U nonimmigrant status may have better service options after naturalization.

This will make it easier, for example, to apply online to renew a naturalization certificate, whether because the original is damaged or stolen.

“This guidance responds to requests from naturalized citizens and other interested parties and provides these U.S. citizens with a greater access to customer service toolswhich helps eliminate barriers to case processing and improves USCIS response times for certain inquiries,” the agency said.

For the petition to be effective, USCIS had to remove the limitations on “secrecy” in certain cases, since the law requires that during the processing of immigration protections for people who are victims of domestic violence, for example, their information must be under absolute seal.

After obtaining citizenship, these types of immigrants may require additional services from USCIS, such as renewing their naturalization certificate, but due to the protection of their data, even in the agency’s system, the process was complicated.

“The termination of protections after naturalization will allow a naturalized citizen to apply for a replacement naturalization certificate in the event that he or she has lost this document,” the agency said.

This may even make it easier for these immigrants to sponsor a family member who can apply for parole or protection from deportation.

“It would allow citizens to ask or answer questions about their intention to financially support parole applicants“the agency said in a statement.

USCIS added that it received requests from both naturalized citizens and officials about the importance of relaxing the aforementioned barriers, which “will result in a significant benefit in family reunification and humanitarian sponsorship.”

“This will allow greater freedom in the exchange of information between the naturalized citizen and USCIS and, in turn, will increase USCIS customer service to the naturalized citizen,” the agency insisted.

Federal law establishes confidentiality provisions to protect victims from their abusers’ use of the immigration system.

“After a non-citizen victim becomes a US citizen, their abuser no longer has the same means to use the immigration system against the victim,” the agency justifies. “Continuing these safeguards after naturalization causes delays in case processing and is more of a hardship than a protective mechanism.”

The new guidance will go into effect on July 12, 2024.

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