U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reported that it has updated the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify the interview criteria for asylees and refugees and their derivative family members who file Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status.

USCIS is reinstating a uniform standard of security investigations and background checks for interviews of foreign nationals who are asylees and refugees applying for permanent residence, effective immediately, or August 1, 2025.

“This policy update will help ensure the integrity of the program by more effectively detecting fraud, false representations, threats to national security, and risks to public safety. Additionally, this leadership priority aligns USCIS with Executive Order 14161, Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other Threats to National Security and Public Safety, the agency said in a press release.

“We owe all Americans the right to feel Safe and secure. We strive to ensure that all foreign nationals seeking admission to the United States, or already in the country, maintain the highest sense of integrity and morals and comply with our rules and regulations. We are returning to the most stringent and secure security investigation and background check policies in our asylum and refugee processes, said USCIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser. Under these guidelines, USCIS clarifies its criteria for referring an asylee or refugee for an interview, which include: The new Standards for Security Investigations and Background Checks went into effect Friday, August 1, the federal agency ratified.