Tue Apr 22 09:10:00 UTC 2025: ## USCIS Issues Unusual RFEs for H-1B Visas and Employment-Based Petitions, Sparking Attorney Concerns
**Washington, D.C.** – The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing unexpected Requests for Evidence (RFEs) for H-1B visa and employment-based immigrant petitions, demanding home addresses and biometric information, a move that has raised significant alarm among immigration attorneys.
This unprecedented action departs from standard USCIS procedure, as biometrics are not typically required for these petition types. Attorneys are critical of the lack of transparency, noting that the RFEs cite “potentially adverse information” without specifying its nature, leaving employers and applicants in the dark. Typically, RFEs focus on eligibility criteria, not personal data.
The timing of these RFEs coincides with increased immigration enforcement actions under the current administration, including reported deportations of international students for minor infractions. Over 1,550 students and recent graduates at more than 240 US colleges and universities are facing altered legal statuses.
The new RFEs add further complexity to an already challenging immigration system, marked by stringent H-1B visa caps and green card processing backlogs. Immigration attorney Vic Goel of Goel & Anderson advises against immediately complying with the requests for addresses and biometrics, suggesting instead that applicants cite regulation 8 CFR 103.2(b)(16)(i), which mandates USCIS disclose any negative information used in decision-making.
The uncertainty surrounding these RFEs has left the legal community and businesses in a holding pattern, unsure whether this signals a broader shift towards stricter immigration policies or a temporary procedural anomaly. The situation is being closely monitored as stakeholders grapple with the implications of these unexpected requests.
First Piper 