US Tightens Green Card Rules for Married Couples to Combat Fraudulent Claims

New USCIS guidelines require foreign spouses to submit strong evidence of a genuine relationship, including joint financial records, photos, and letters from family and friends.

August 4, 2025: The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has developed new guidelines to make it easier to go over family-based immigrant visa applications, notably those based on marriage.

The point of the action is to deter people from making up stories and make sure that only true relationships get green cards.

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The “Family Based Immigrants” section of the USCIS Policy Manual got new guidelines on August 1.

These rules are now in effect for all applications that are still open or have just been filed.

USCIS said in a statement, “Fraudulent, frivolous, or otherwise non-meritorious family-based immigrant visa petitions erode confidence in family-based pathways to lawful permanent resident (LPR) status and undermine family unity in the United States.”

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The agency also highlighted its focus to national security, adding, “We are dedicated to keeping Americans safe by finding aliens who may want to harm them so they can be removed from the United States.”

What has changed now?
The new rules make it clearer how to check and write things down. If a US citizen supports a spouse from another country, the couple must now prove that they are actually together. This could include, but is not limited to, shared letters, images, and financial information.

The updated guidance outlines stricter vetting and documentation procedures, including:

• Improved eligibility checks and adjudication processes for family-based petitions.
• Clear documentation requirements, such as photos, shared finances, and affidavits from friends and family to prove bona fide marriages.
• Mandatory in-person interviews for couples, aimed at evaluating the authenticity of the relationship.
• Review of prior applications, including multiple petitions filed by the same sponsor or on behalf of the same beneficiary.
• Closer scrutiny of immigration history, particularly for applicants already in the US on other visas (example – H-1B) seeking adjustment of status through marriage.
• Issuance of Notices to Appear (NTA) in removal proceedings, even if the green card petition is approved, if the applicant is found to be otherwise ineligible or removable.
  
  What’s Different?
  The new guidelines spell out stronger rules for checking and documenting things. If a US citizen supports a foreign spouse, the couple must now show that they are really in a relationship. This could be, but isn’t limited to, shared financial documents, pictures, and letters from family or friends.