General policyPOLICY UPDATE
Statelessness
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to address stateless noncitizens present in the United States. This guidance becomes effective October 30, 2023.
Effective date and application
This guidance, contained in Volume 3 of the Policy Manual, is effective October 30, 2023, and
Key changes
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to address stateless noncitizens present in the United States. This guidance becomes effective October 30, 2023.
- Clarifies what statelessness is generally for USCIS immigration purposes.
- Explains the relevance of a determination that a noncitizen may be considered stateless for immigration purposes to various immigration benefit requests or requests for action.
- Clarifies the circumstances under which an adjudicating officer may request a report on statelessness through the specialized internal process.
- Explains how USCIS may analyze available documentation and other evidence for purposes of producing reports, which may be used by officers adjudicating immigration benefit requests or requests for action.
- Describes examples of documentation and other evidence a noncitizen may provide USCIS to support their claim of statelessness.
- Provides examples of situations where an officer may request an updated report on statelessness.
