USCIS Can Now Deny Without an RFE: What the August 5, 2026 Evidence Policy Means for Immigration Firm Workflows

On August 5, 2026, USCIS issued guidance authorizing officers to deny petitions outright when required initial evidence is missing — no Request for Evidence, no Notice of Intent to Deny. Response windows can now run shorter than 12 weeks, and the extra 14 days for foreign-mailed notices is gone. Here is the filing-completeness workflow immigration firms need in place this week.