The United States CitizenshipThe country in which a person is born (and has not renounced or lost citizenship) or naturalized and to which that person owes allegiance and by which he or she is entitled to be protected. and Immigration Service (USCIS) recently found that some Requests for Evidence (RFE) were issued to petitioners for Special Immigrantan alien admitted to the United States as a lawful permanent resident. Permanent residents are also commonly referred to as immigrants; however, the Immigration and NationalityThe country of a person’s citizenship or country in which the person is deemed a nationalA person owing permanent allegiance to a state. Act (INAThe Act (INA), which, along with other immigration laws, treaties, and conventions of the United States, relates to the immigration, temporary admission, naturalizationThe conferring, by any means, of citizenship upon a person after birth., and removalThe expulsion of an alien from the United States. This expulsion may be based on grounds of inadmissibility or deportability. of aliens.) broadly defines an immigrant as any alien in the United States, except one legally admitted under specific nonimmigrantAn alien who seeks temporary entry to the United States for a specific purpose. The alien must have a permanent residence abroad (for most classes of admission) and qualify for the nonimmigrant classification sought. The nonimmigrant classifications include: foreign government officials, visitors for business and for pleasure, aliens in transit through the United States, treaty traders and investors, students, international representatives, temporary workers and trainees, representatives of foreign information media, exchange visitors, fiance(e)s of U.S. citizens, intracompany transferees, NATO officials, religious workers, and some others. Most nonimmigrants can be accompanied or joined by spouses and unmarried minor (or dependent) children. categories (INAThe Act (INA), which, along with other immigration laws, treaties, and conventions of the United States, relates to the immigration, temporary admission, naturalizationThe conferring, by any means, of citizenship upon a person after birth., and removalThe expulsion of an alien from the United States. This expulsion may be based on grounds of inadmissibility or deportability. of aliens. section 101(a)(15)). An illegal alien who entered the United States without inspection, for example, would be strictly defined as an immigrant under the INAThe Act (INA), which, along with other immigration laws, treaties, and conventions of the United States, relates to the immigration, temporary admission, naturalizationThe conferring, by any means, of citizenship upon a person after birth., and removalThe expulsion of an alien from the United States. This expulsion may be based on grounds of inadmissibility or deportability. of aliens. but is not a permanent resident alien. Lawful permanent residents are legally accorded the privilege of residing permanently in the United States. They may be issued immigrant visas by the Department of State overseas or adjusted to permanent resident status by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in the United States.A special category of immigrantan alien admitted to the United States as a lawful permanent resident. Permanent residents are also commonly referred to as immigrants; however, the Immigration and NationalityThe country of a person’s citizenship or country in which the person is deemed a nationalA person owing permanent allegiance to a state. Act (INAThe Act (INA), which, along with other immigration laws, treaties, and conventions of the United States, relates to the immigration, temporary admission, naturalizationThe conferring, by any means, of citizenship upon a person after birth., and removalThe expulsion of an alien from the United States. This expulsion may be based on grounds of inadmissibility or deportability. of aliens.) broadly defines an immigrant as any alien in the United States, except one legally admitted under specific nonimmigrantAn alien who seeks temporary entry to the United States for a specific purpose. The alien must have a permanent residence abroad (for most classes of admission) and qualify for the nonimmigrant classification sought. The nonimmigrant classifications include: foreign government officials, visitors for business and for pleasure, aliens in transit through the United States, treaty traders and investors, students, international representatives, temporary workers and trainees, representatives of foreign information media, exchange visitors, fiance(e)s of U.S. citizens, intracompany transferees, NATO officials, religious workers, and some others. Most nonimmigrants can be accompanied or joined by spouses and unmarried minor (or dependent) children. categories (INAThe Act (INA), which, along with other immigration laws, treaties, and conventions of the United States, relates to the immigration, temporary admission, naturalizationThe conferring, by any means, of citizenship upon a person after birth., and removalThe expulsion of an alien from the United States. This expulsion may be based on grounds of inadmissibility or deportability. of aliens. section 101(a)(15)). An illegal alien who entered the United States without inspection, for example, would be strictly defined as an immigrant under the INAThe Act (INA), which, along with other immigration laws, treaties, and conventions of the United States, relates to the immigration, temporary admission, naturalizationThe conferring, by any means, of citizenship upon a person after birth., and removalThe expulsion of an alien from the United States. This expulsion may be based on grounds of inadmissibility or deportability. of aliens. but is not a permanent resident alien. Lawful permanent residents are legally accorded the privilege of residing permanently in the United States. They may be issued immigrant visas by the Department of State overseas or adjusted to permanent resident status by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in the United States. visas for persons who lost their citizenshipThe country in which a person is born (and has not renounced or lost citizenship) or naturalized and to which that person owes allegiance and by which he or she is entitled to be protected. by marriage; persons who lost citizenshipThe country in which a person is born (and has not renounced or lost citizenship) or naturalized and to which that person owes allegiance and by which he or she is entitled to be protected. by serving in foreign armed forces; certain foreign medical school graduates; Panama Canal immigrants; and certain others. Religious Workers (Form I-360) that did not take into account the supporting evidence that was included with the petition. These generic RFEs requested evidence with respect to every eligibility criteria, regardless of the evidence initially submitted by the petitioner.

After reviewing each of these petitions, USCIS, if needed, will send a case-specific RFE to affected petitioners to request the specific additional supporting evidence required for adjudication. After USCIS receives the petitioner’s response to that case-specific RFE within the timeframe specified in the RFE, a decision will be made on the case.