What changed
USCIS policy alerts that updated the Policy Manual guidance on O visas (Volume 2, Part M), newest first. Each links to the official USCIS document.
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Revising Guidance for Pertinent Visa Categories to Keep Men Out of Women’s Sports
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to support and align with Executive Order (EO) 14201, Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports. EO 14201 directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop policies to prevent the entry of male athletes seeking to compete in women’s sports.
Affects USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 2, Part M: Chapter 4 - O-1 Beneficiaries.
Read the USCIS policy alert (PDF) ↗Evidentiary Requirements for O-1 Nonimmigrants
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify how USCIS evaluates evidence to determine eligibility for O-1A nonimmigrants of extraordinary ability, including adding examples of evidence for individuals in critical and emerging technologies.
Affects USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 2, Part M: Chapter 3 - Petitioners; Chapter 4 - O-1 Beneficiaries; Chapter 9 - Admission, Extension of Stay, Change of Status, and Change of Employer.
Read the USCIS policy alert (PDF) ↗Fee Schedule and Changes to Certain Other Immigration Benefit Request Requirements Final Rule
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is revising its policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to align with the Fee Schedule and Changes to Certain Other Immigration Benefit Request Requirements Final Rule, published in the Federal Register on January 31, 2024, and effective April 1, 2024.
Affects USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 2, Part M: Chapter 7 - Documentation and Evidence.
Read the USCIS policy alert (PDF) ↗Evaluating Eligibility for O-1B Visa Classification
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify how USCIS evaluates evidence to determine eligibility for the O-1B visa classification for nonimmigrants of extraordinary ability in the arts and nonimmigrants of extraordinary achievement in the motion picture or television (MPTV) industry.
Affects USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 2, Part M: Chapter 4 - O-1 Beneficiaries.
Read the USCIS policy alert (PDF) ↗O-1 Nonimmigrant Status for Persons of Extraordinary Ability
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is updating policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to further clarify how USCIS evaluates evidence to determine eligibility for O-1A nonimmigrants of extraordinary ability, with a focus on persons in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) fields.
Affects USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 2, Part M: Chapter 4 - O-1 Beneficiaries.
Read the USCIS policy alert (PDF) ↗O-1 Nonimmigrant Status for Persons of Extraordinary Ability or Achievement
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify how USCIS evaluates evidence to determine eligibility for O-1A nonimmigrants of extraordinary ability, with a focus on persons in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) fields, as well as how USCIS determines whether an O-1 beneficiary’s prospective work is within the beneficiary’s area of extraordinary ability or achievement.
Affects USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 2, Part M: Chapter 4 - O-1 Beneficiaries.
Read the USCIS policy alert (PDF) ↗Determining the Appropriate O-1B Classification for Persons of Extraordinary Ability in the Arts or Extraordinary Achievement in the Motion Picture or Television Industry
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify how USCIS determines whether an O-1B beneficiary is evaluated as a person of extraordinary ability in the arts (O-1B Arts) or as a person of extraordinary achievement in the motion picture or television industry (O-1B MPTV).
Affects USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 2, Part M: Chapter 4 - O-1 Beneficiaries.
Read the USCIS policy alert (PDF) ↗O Nonimmigrant Visa Classification
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to update and consolidate guidance related to O nonimmigrant classifications.
Affects USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 2, Part M: Chapter 1 - Purpose and Background; Chapter 2 - Eligibility for O Classification; Chapter 3 - Petitioners; Chapter 4 - O-1 Beneficiaries; Chapter 5 - O-2 Beneficiaries; Chapter 6 - Family Members; Chapter 7 - Documentation and Evidence; Chapter 8 - Adjudication; Chapter 9 - Admission, Extension of Stay, Change of Status, and Change of Employer.
Read the USCIS policy alert (PDF) ↗Fee Schedule and Changes to Certain Other Immigration Benefit Request Requirements Final Rule
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is revising its policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to align with the Fee Schedule and Changes to Certain Other Immigration Benefit Request Requirements Final Rule, published in the Federal Register on August 3, 2020. This guidance becomes effective October 2, 2020. For information regarding implementation, see Appendix: 2020 Fee Rule Litigation Summary.
Affects USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 2, Part M: Chapter 1 - Purpose and Background; Chapter 2 - Eligibility for O Classification; Chapter 3 - Petitioners; Chapter 4 - O-1 Beneficiaries; Chapter 5 - O-2 Beneficiaries; Chapter 6 - Family Members; Chapter 7 - Documentation and Evidence; Chapter 8 - Adjudication; Chapter 9 - Admission, Extension of Stay, Change of Status, and Change of Employer.
Read the USCIS policy alert (PDF) ↗