USCIS Implements Stricter Screening for Asylee and Refugee Green Card Applicants with 6 Interview Referral Criteria

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has updated its Policy Manual to clarify the interview criteria for applicants who are asylees and refugees, and their derivative family members, filing Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. This policy, which is effective immediately and applies to applications pending or filed on or after August 1, 2025, reestablishes a uniform baseline of screening and vetting standards for interviews of asylee and refugee applicants.

According to USCIS Spokesman Matthew Tragesser, this policy update will help ensure program integrity by better detecting fraud, misrepresentation, national security threats, and public safety risks. Tragesser stated, “We owe every American the right to feel safe and secure. We strive to ensure that all applicants seeking admission to the United States, or those who are already in the United States, uphold the highest sense of integrity and morals and adhere to our rules and regulations. We are returning to the toughest and most secure enhanced screening and vetting policies for our asylum and refugee processes.”

USCIS determines on a case-by-case basis whether an interview is necessary for these applicants to determine admissibility for lawful permanent resident (LPR) status. Interviews are generally required when an officer is unable to confirm identity or admissibility based solely on the immigration records available.

Under this new guidance, USCIS clarifies its criteria for referring an asylee or refugee case for an interview. This includes, but is not limited to, situations where an officer cannot verify the applicant’s identity through available records or background checks, if the applicant is claiming a new identity, or has unresolved or conflicting identities.

Additionally, an interview may be required if immigration records are insufficient for the officer to determine whether the applicant has refugee status, or if evidence suggests the applicant may have obtained refugee or asylum status through fraud or misrepresentation.

If results from the applicant’s FBI fingerprint check indicate a record that may cause the applicant to be inadmissible, or if the applicant has had two unclassifiable fingerprint responses, an interview will likely be conducted. Other reasons for an interview include when an officer cannot determine the applicant’s admissibility without an interview, when an interview would yield clarifying information (such as with an unclear response to a request for evidence), or if the officer has an articulable inadmissibility concern regarding the applicant being a citizen of, or habitually residing in, a country that is now or was at the time of last residence, a state sponsor of terrorism.

Finally, an interview will be necessary if the applicant has an articulable concern regarding national security or regarding a terrorism-related ground of inadmissibility, according to USCIS.