How is Biden’s Recent Immigration Policies Affecting US Processing Times?

Blank Space Rejection Rule: 

The USCIS implied strange criteria that were considered absurd by many. In 2019, USCIS started to reject certain forms and applications that had any blank spaces. This led to a spike in rejection rates as many applications were rejected for having blank spaces even in areas that were not relevant to the applicant.

This also further added to the processing times. Recently, the USCIS announced that it has discontinued its ‘blank space rejection rule.’ However, applicants must still avoid the following if they don’t want their application to be rejected:

• Leave mandatory answers blank
• Leave questions related to filing requirements blank
• Omit any supporting documents requested to complete the application

Doing the above will lead to a long wait and processing time and may even get your application rejected.

Public Charge Rule: 

The Trump administration changed the long-standing public charge rule to make it difficult for low-income immigrants to gain permanent residence in the US. It essentially became a wealth test that made it harder for many immigrants to even qualify.

The new public charge rule under President Trump required immigrants to fill out Form I-199, Declaration of Self Sufficiency. Receiving any government-provided public benefits could lead to the rejection of your green card application. However, President Biden has put an end to this Trump-era rule. Now, public charge requirements are the same as they were before the Trump presidency. 

Immigrant Visa Ban Reversal: 

President Trump issued a presidential proclamation to ban certain visa categories last year as a move to protect American jobs during the pandemic. This ban prevented almost 525,000 foreign nationals from entering the US legally. This ban also disrupted the economy, caused the continued separation of thousands of families and prevented businesses from hiring essential employees. President Biden revoked the ban on immigrant visa categories in February 2021 while the ban on nonimmigrant visa categories naturally ended on March 31, 2021.

Resumption of Immigration Services: 

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the US consulate and embassies had to shut down operations last year. This affected many USCIS operations. All in-person visa interview appointments, biometric information collections and oath ceremonies had to be canceled. New applications were being accepted, however, due to partial functioning, the processing times grew even longer. As the vaccination drive rolls out in different parts of the world, it is expected that immigration operations will gradually return to normal.