US Tightens Green Card Rules; Married Couples, Indian Families To Face Stricter Checks

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued new guidelines aimed at strengthening the screening process for family-based immigrant visa applications. The move could affect several applicants from India, which remains one of the largest sources of family-sponsored green card petitions. Here’s what’s changed.

US Announces Stricter Rules For Family-Based Green Card Applications

The US has once again tightened the rules around family-based green card applications, this time with a special focus on marriage-based petitions. As per a report by News18, these updated guidelines will immediately apply to all pending and new petitions, including those filed by US citizens and green card holders sponsoring foreign spouses and relatives.

But why the sudden change? The agency reportedly aims to crack down on “fraudulent, frivolous or non-meritorious petitions that misuse the family-based immigration process.” Reportedly, USCIS policy says the goal is to boost its “capacity to vet qualifying marriages and family relationships to ensure they are genuine, verifiable, and compliant with all applicable laws.”

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What Are The New Requirements?

The revised policy brings stricter eligibility criteria, filing procedures and interviews. In marriage-based applications, couples must now submit stronger and verifiable evidence to prove their relationship is genuine. This includes joint financial records such as bank statements, leases and mortgages, along with photographs (clicked over time) and affidavits from family and friends.

Additionally, USCIS will conduct stricter personal interviews. As per a report by India Today, the USCIS policy manual now clarifies that the agency will also review petitions involving children, parents or siblings with greater scrutiny. These petitions must be genuine, properly documented and legally valid.

Indian nationals are likely to face a major impact. Securing a US green card is already difficult, with wait times often stretching to years or even decades due to backlogs. These new rules won’t just make processing times longer, but they will also require more supporting documents and evidence from applicants.

Also Read: Skip The Long US Visa Queue By Paying $1000 Fee For A Faster Interview; Here’s How

The US is clearly making it tougher for families and married couples to get through the green card process. What do you think of these new guidelines? Let us know.

Cover Image Courtesy: Canva Pro/ Gintarė Kairaitytė and Freepik (Representative Image)