As an Dallas Immigration Attorney, I get asked quite frequently about RFEs. RFE stands for “Request for Evidence,” and this is a document that is sent out by USCIS any time they need additional evidence to be able to make a decision on your case. RFEs aren’t necessarily a bad thing–it just means that USCIS wants a little more information.
Many clients think that because they received a RFE their application will be denied. That is certainly not the case. Typically, if you provide all of the information that USCIS requests in the RFE, your application will still have a very good chance of being approved.
Let’s look at a recent example from one of our cases.
In this case, a U.S. Citizen had married a young lady who was in the U.S. as a student. After the ceremony, the came to our office to help them with getting her Green Card. We submitted all of their forms and evidence to back-up our claims. However, after about two months, we received a short RFE asking for a few extra documents–pay stubs and an updated tax return for the couple’s Joint Sponsor. After we provided that information, the case went along smoothly and was ultimately approved.
So RFEs aren’t always a bad thing. However, with that said, it is very important that you work with your Immigration Lawyer to make sure that you respond quickly and fully to the RFE. Typically you are only given 90 days to respond to the RFE, and if you do not, your case will automatically be denied (and you will lose all of the filing fees you paid). Thus, it is very important to work with your Immigration Lawyer to ensure that you provide a quick and complete report back to USCIS when you receive a RFE.
If you have questions about this issue or any other Immigration Law question, please feel free to give our Dallas Immigration Lawyers a call at 214-236-2712.