Laws and Policy

This section provides information on laws, regulations, policies, other authorities, and instructive materials and notices, including links to executive orders, Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) decisions, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) decisions, handbooks and practice manuals, and relevant court orders and settlement agreements that USCIS and other immigration-related components of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) follow. This section also includes non-USCIS links related to securing representation before as well as practicing before DHS and DOJ’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR).

Legal Disclaimer

The mission of the USCIS Office of Chief Counsel (OCC) is to provide legal advice to immigration officials concerning issues that arise as they perform their official duties. (6 U.S.C. 272(d)). OCC does not provide legal opinions to individuals or groups outside of USCIS and DHS.

Topics

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Policy Manual
Centralized online repository for USCIS’ immigration policies.
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Administrative Appeals
Information on precedent decisions, adopted decisions, and non-precedent decisions.
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Regulations
Immigration-related regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations.
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Legislation
The Immigration and Nationality Act and other public laws governing U.S. immigration law.