USCIS to Accept Certain Applications with Blank Spaces

By: Jioselin Juarez and Jagan Tamirisa

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will no longer reject Forms I-589, I-612, or I-918 if the applicant leaves certain spaces blank.

USCIS has reverted to rejection criteria from before October 2019, and will not reject the following forms if an applicant leaves a blank space:

• Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal;
• Form I-612, Application for Waiver of the Foreign Residence Requirement (under Section 212(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as Amended); and
• Form I-918, Petition for U Nonimmigrant Status.

However, USCIS still may reject or delay processing for forms that:

• Leave any required fields blank.
• Do not respond to any questions related to filing requirements.
• Leave out any initial evidence.

conclusion

USCIS may reject Forms I-589, I-612, or I-918 where required fields are left blank. For this reason, individuals should exercise caution when completing these applications. If a particular field is not applicable to them, foreign nationals should write “none,” “not applicable,” or "unknown” in that field to avoid unnecessary rejection.

We will continue to monitor any changes made to form criteria and continue to provide updates as they are available. Please contact your trusted Chugh LLP attorney for any questions.