State Dept. Issues Final Rule to Eliminate Informal Evaluations of Immigrant Visa Applicants’ Family Members

Effective January 8, 2024, the Department of State (DOS) is amending its immigrant visa regulations by removing the section allowing a consular officer to conduct an informal evaluation of the family members of an immigrant visa applicant to identify potential grounds of ineligibility. 

DOS explained that the existing regulation was promulgated in 1952, when a consular officer could more readily assess a family member’s potential qualification for a visa without a formal visa application. “Assessing eligibility for an immigrant visa is now a more complex task and not one which can be accomplished accurately with an informal evaluation,” DOS said.

Related Link:

• DOS Final Rule, 88 Fed. Reg. 85109 (Dec. 7, 2023)