06/05/2008 USCIS Clarifies Language in Form I-751 Transfer Notices Sent to Petitioners

[Immigration Office]

USCIS Clarifies Language in Form I-751 Transfer Notices Sent to Petitioners

Current Notice May Be Interpreted as USCIS Granting Approval for Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence



WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today it will revise language in transfer notices received by petitioners who filed a Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence. The current notice includes language that may cause petitioners to believe their cases have been approved.

USCIS announced last month that it is revising filing instructions for Form I-751 to require filing at the California or Vermont Service Centers. Until the form instructions are revised, any petitions filed with the Nebraska and Texas Service Centers will be transferred to California and Vermont, respectively. When USCIS enters data at one service center and later transfers the case to another, a Transfer Notice is sent to the petitioner advising him or her that the case has been transferred for adjudication and that they will be notified of the final decision.

The current transfer notice currently contains the following phrase: “CRI89 approved removal of conditions (I89).” That statement means that the biometric portion of the case has been successfully transferred; it does not, however, mean that the petition itself was approved.

While USCIS is in the process of changing the language in the transfer notice, a substantial number of notices have already been mailed containing the potentially confusing statement. Any petitioner who may have received such a notice should be aware of the following:

• At the time the I-751 was transferred, USCIS had not yet adjudicated (approved or denied) the case;
• USCIS transferred the case to the Service Center listed on the notice for adjudication; and
• If the petitioner has not received additional information from the California or Vermont Service Centers, USCIS has not yet adjudicated the case.

Petitioners who have a specific question related to their I-751 petition should contact the National Customer Service Center at (800) 375-5283 for more information.