NPR national politics reporter Ximena Bustillo, writing for Oregon Public Broadcasting on July 6, details a quiet policy change that requires nearly all marriage-based green-card applicants to attend second-tier fraud interviews, even when initial evidence is deemed “strong.” Officers must now run additional social-media vetting and INTERPOL screens before issuing conditional residency.
![US begins extra scrutiny of marriage-based cases; spouses of citizens face more interviews and security checks]()
For couples and HR managers suddenly facing longer timelines and added scrutiny, VisaHQ can help smooth the travel side of the equation. The company’s U.S. portal provides step-by-step checklists, courier assistance for advance-parole or re-entry permit filings, and real-time status alerts—services that can keep plans on track while primary green-card applications make their way through the new, slower system.
USCIS sources say the directive, issued late June, stems from a White House memo citing a 14 % rise in sham-marriage indictments. Processing times for Form I-485 have already ticked up by two months in Dallas and Newark service centers, according to AILA trackers. The policy also eliminates “prior approval” waivers for spouses returning from overseas assignments under the Returning Resident (SB-1) process, a setback for global employers that rotate U.S. citizens abroad. Corporate mobility teams should alert employees planning summer weddings abroad that re-entry documents may take longer and that advance parole may be advisable. Immigration lawyers predict higher RFEs for evidence of commingled finances and joint leases, and warn that travel while a case is pending could trigger abandonment under the stricter rules.
For couples and HR managers suddenly facing longer timelines and added scrutiny, VisaHQ can help smooth the travel side of the equation. The company’s U.S. portal provides step-by-step checklists, courier assistance for advance-parole or re-entry permit filings, and real-time status alerts—services that can keep plans on track while primary green-card applications make their way through the new, slower system.
USCIS sources say the directive, issued late June, stems from a White House memo citing a 14 % rise in sham-marriage indictments. Processing times for Form I-485 have already ticked up by two months in Dallas and Newark service centers, according to AILA trackers. The policy also eliminates “prior approval” waivers for spouses returning from overseas assignments under the Returning Resident (SB-1) process, a setback for global employers that rotate U.S. citizens abroad. Corporate mobility teams should alert employees planning summer weddings abroad that re-entry documents may take longer and that advance parole may be advisable. Immigration lawyers predict higher RFEs for evidence of commingled finances and joint leases, and warn that travel while a case is pending could trigger abandonment under the stricter rules.
