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  • Topics

    • Family

      • Family of Green Card Holders (Permanent Residents)
      • Family of Refugees and Asylees
      • Family of U.S. Citizens
    • Adoption

      • Before You Start
      • Immigration through Adoption
    • Military

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      • Naturalization Through Military Service
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  • Forms

    • Most Accessed Forms

      • I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status
      • I-765, Application for Employment Authorization
      • I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (Green Card)
      • N-400, Application for Naturalization
    • All Forms

    • File Online

    • Family Based Forms

      • I-129F, Petition for Alien Fiancé(e)
      • I-130, Petition for Alien Relative
      • I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant
      • I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative
      • I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence
    • Employment Based Forms

      • I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification
      • I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker
      • I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers
      • I-526, Immigrant Petition by Standalone Investor
      • I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status
    • Humanitarian Based Forms

      • I-134A, Online Request to be a Supporter and Declaration of Financial Support
      • I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal
      • I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition
      • I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status
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  • Laws and Policy
    • Legislation
      • Immigration and Nationality Act
    • Regulations
    • Policy Manual
    • Policy Memoranda
    • Handbooks
    • Other Resources
      • Class Action, Settlement Notices and Agreements
      • The 180-Day Asylum EAD Clock Notice
      • Notice to Appear Policy Memorandum
      • Unlawful Presence and Inadmissibility
      • U.S. Immigration Law in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)
        • Requesting Parole for the First Time in the CNMI
        • Grant of Status
      • Terrorism-Related Inadmissibility Grounds (TRIG)
        • Grounds Exemptions
        • Group-Based Exemptions
        • Situational Exemptions
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  1. Home
  2. Laws and Policy

Laws and Policy

This section provides information on laws, regulations, policies, other authorities, and instructive materials and notices, including links to executive orders, Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) decisions, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) decisions, handbooks and practice manuals, and relevant court orders and settlement agreements that USCIS and other immigration-related components of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) follow. This section also includes non-USCIS links related to securing representation before as well as practicing before DHS and DOJ’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR).

Legal Disclaimer

The mission of the USCIS Office of Chief Counsel (OCC) is to provide legal advice to immigration officials concerning issues that arise as they perform their official duties. (6 U.S.C. 272(d)). OCC does not provide legal opinions to individuals or groups outside of USCIS and DHS.

Topics

Policy Manual

Centralized online repository for USCIS’ immigration policies.

Administrative Appeals

Information on precedent decisions, adopted decisions, and non-precedent decisions.

Regulations

Immigration-related regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations.

Legislation

The Immigration and Nationality Act and other public laws governing U.S. immigration law.
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