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Administrative Decisions

The USCIS Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) has jurisdiction over the appeals from decisions on most immigration petitions and applications that are entered by USCIS regional service centers and district offices.

There are numerous types of petitions and applications within the AAO's jurisdiction, including employment-based immigration petitions, various waivers, legalization, and temporary protected status applications. The AAO produces appellate decisions that provide fair and legally supportable resolutions of individual applications and petitions for immigration benefits. These decisions provide guidance to applicants, petitioners, practitioners and government officials in the correct interpretation of immigration law, regulations and policy.

The decisions in this collection are published in PDF format. You will need Adobe Reader 8 or higher to view them. You can download the latest version of Adobe Reader from the PDF Reader link at the bottom of this page.

Accessibility Note:

The PDFs from this section of our website may not be fully accessible under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Upon request, a fully accessible version will be provided to you. In order to request a fully accessible version, please indicate the date and code letter of the individual decision and the file name of the PDF. Requests may be sent to USCIS.Webmaster@dhs.gov with a subject line of "Administrative Decisions."

PLEASE NOTE - SOME ADMINISTRATIVE DECISION FOLDERS ARE EMPTY – (NO APPEALS WERE POSTED FOR THAT PERIOD)

Subject Matter	Form	Law or Regulation

A1 - Certification of an Application to Register as a Permanent Resident or Adjust Status	I-485	Sec. 245 of the INA
A2 - Denial of Adjustment of Status for Certain Cuban Nationals	I-485	Sec. 1 of the Cuban Refugee Act of 1966
A3 - Adjustment of Status of Diplomats	I-485 Diplomat	Sec. 13 of Act of 1957
A4 - Application for Adjustment of Status of Indochinese Refugees	I-485	Sec. 103 of the Act of 1977
A5 - Denial of Adjustment for Not Establishing Bona Fide Marriage Exemption	None	Sec. 245(e) of the Act
B1 - Revocation of Immigrant Visa Petition	None	Sec. 205 of the INA
B2 - Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker (Extraordinary Ability)	I-140 A	Sec. 203(b)(1)(A) of the INA
B3 - Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker (Outstanding Professors/Researchers)	I-140 B	Sec. 203(b)(1)(B) of the INA
B4 - Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker (Multinational Managers/Executives)	I-140 C	Sec. 203(b)(1)(C) of the INA
B5 - Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker (Advanced Degree, Exceptional Ability, NIW	I-140 D/I	Sec. 203(b)(2), 203(b)(2) of the INA
B6 - Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker (Skilled Workers/Professionals) B6- Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker (Other Workers)	I-140 E	Sec. 203(b)(3)(A)(i), 203(b)(3)(A)(ii) of the INA
	I-140 G	Sec. 203(b)(3)(A)(iii) of the INA
B7 - Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneurs B7- Petition to Remove Conditions by Entrepreneur	I-526	Sec. 203(b)(5) of the INA
	I-829	Sec. 216A of the INA
B8 - Petition to Classify Amerasians as Children of U.S. Citizens	I-360 A	Sec. 204(f), Public Law 97-359
B9 - Petition for Spouse or Child under VAWA	I-360 I	Sec. 204(a)(1)(A)(iii), 204(a)(1)(B)(ii) of the INA
B10 - Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker (Skilled Workers filed after 1/6/2010)	I-140 F	Sec. 203(b)(3)(A)(i) of the INA
C1 - Petition for Special Immigrant Religious Worker	I-360 D	Sec. 101(a)(27)(C) of the Act, 203(b)(4) of the INA
C2 - Petition for Special Imm. Employee or Former Employee of U.S. Government Abroad	I-360	Sec. 101(a)(27)(D) of the INA
C3 - Petition for Special Imm Panama Canal Co, Canal Zone Gov or US Gov in Canal Zone	I-360 E	Sec. 101(a)(27)(E),(F), & (G) of the INA
C4 - Petition for Special Immigrant Physician	I-360 F	Sec. 101(a)(27)(H) of the INA
C5 - Petition for Special Immigrant Employee of an International Organization	I-360 G	Sec. 101(a)(27)(I) of the INA
C6 - Petition for Special Immigrant Juvenile	I-360 C	Sec. 101(a)(27)(J) of the INA
C7 - Petition for Armed Forces Special Immigrant	I-360 H	Sec. 101(a)(27)(K) of the INA
C8 - Petition for Special Immigrant Status as an Afghan or Iraqi Translator	I-360 K	Sec. 101(a)(27) (Nat'l Def Act 2008)
C9 - Petition for Special Immigrant Status as an Iragi Employee of the US Government	I-360 L	Sec. 101(a)(27) (Nat'l Def Act 2008)
D1 - Revocation of Nonimmigrant Visa Petition Approval
D2 - Temporary Worker in a Specialty Occupation or Fashion Model (H-1B)	I-129 H-1B	Sec. 101(a)(15)(H)(i)(b) of the INA
D3 -Temporary Worker Performing Agricultural Labor or Services (H-2A)	I-129 H-2A	Sec. 101(a)(15)(H)(2)(a) of the INA
D4 - Temporary Worker Performing Non-Agricultural Labor or Services (H-2B)	I-129 H-2B	Sec. 101(a)(15)(H)(2)(b) of the INA
D5 - Alien Trainee (H-3)	I-129 H-3	Sec. 101(a)(15)(H)(3) of the INA
D6 - Petition for Fiancée	I-129F	Sec. 101(a)(15)(K) of the INA
D7 - Intracompany Transferee	I-129 L-1	Sec. 101(a)(15)(L) of the INA
D8 - Aliens of Extraordinary Ability or Achievement (O-1, O-2, O-3)	I-129 O	Sec. 101(a)(15)(O) of the INA
D9 - Artists, Athletes or Entertainers (P-1, P-2, P-3)	I-129 P	Sec. 101(a)(15)(P) of the INA
D10 - International Exchange or Cultural Worker	I-129 Q	Sec. 101(a)(15)(Q) of the INA
D11 -Free Trade Agreement / NAFTA Professional (TN)	I-129 TN	Sec. 214(e) of the INA
D12 - Petition for T Visa Nonimmigrant	I-914	Sec. 101(a)(15)(T) of the INA
D13 - Petition for R-1 Nonimmigrant Religious Workers	I-129 R	Sec. 101(a)(15)( R) of the INA
D14 - Petition for U Visa Nonimmigrant	I-918	Sec. 101(a)(15)(U) of the INA
E1 - Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization	N-470	Sec. 316(b), 316.5(d)(3) of the INA
E2 - Applications for Certification of Citizenship	N-600	Sec. 341 of the INA
E3 - Application for Replacement of Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship Papers	N-565	Sec. 343a.1,338 of the INA
E4 - Applications for Special Certificates of Naturalization	None	Sec. 343b.1 of the INA
E5 - Administrative Cancellation of Certificates, Documents, and Records	None	Sec. 342 of the INA
E6 - Applications for Certificates of Naturalization or Repatriation	None	Sec. 323 of the INA of 1940 or Sec 4 of the INA 1906
E7 - Administrative Revocation of Naturalization	None	Sec. 340 of the INA
F1 - Petition for Orphans Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative	I-600	Sec. 101(b)(1)(F) of the INA
	I-800	Sec. 101(b)(1)(G) of the INA
F2 - Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petitions Advance Processing as a Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative	I-600A	Sec. 101(b)(1)(F), 204.3 of the INA
	I-800A	Sec. 101(b)(1)(G) of the INA
G1 - Breach of Delivery Bond	I-352	Sec. 103.6(c)(1) of the INA
G2 - Breach of Maintenance of Status Bond	I-352	Sec. 103.6(c)(2), 240B of the INA
G3 - Breach of Voluntary Departure Bond	I-352	Sec. 240.25(b) of the INA
H1 - Waivers of Inadmissibility - Medical	I-601	Sec. 212(g) of the INA
H2 - Waivers of Inadmissibility - Criminal	I-601	Sec. 212(h) of the INA
H3 - Waivers of Two-Year Foreign Residence Requirement under 212(e)	I-612	Sec. 212(e) of the INA
H4 - Application for Reentry after Removal or Aggravated Felony Conviction	I-212	Sec. 212(a)(9)(A)(iii), 212(a)(9)(C)(iii) of the INA
H5 - Waivers of Inadmissibility Misrepresentation	I-601	Sec. 212(i) of the INA
H6 - Waivers of Inadmissibility - Unlawful Presence	I-601	Sec. 212(a)(9)(B)(v) of the INA
H7 - Waivers of Inadmissibility - Exception	I-601	Sec. 212(d) of the INA
I1- Application for Issuance of Reentry Permit	I-131	Sec. 223.1(a) of the INA
I2 - Application for Refugee Travel Document	I-131	Sec. 223.1(b) of the INA
J1 - Petition for Approval of School for Attendance by Nonimmigrant Students		Sec. 101(a)(15)F)(i)
K1 - Request for Participation as Regional Center	I-924	Sec. 204.6(m), Sec. 610 of the Appro. Act of 1993
K2- Termination of Participation as Regional Center	None	Sec. 204.6(m), Sec. 610 of the Appro. Act of 1993
L1 - Legalization: Application for Temporary Resident Status	I-687	Sec. 245A(a), 210 of the INA
L2 - Legalization: Application for Adjustment to Permanent Resident Status	I-698/I-485 LIFE	Sec. 245(b)(1), Section 1104, LIFE Act of 2000
L3 - Legalization: Termination of Temporary Resident Status	I-687	Sec. 245(b)(2) of the INA
L4 - Special Agricultural Worker: Application for Temporary Residence	I-700	Sec. 210.2 of the INA
L5 - Special Agricultural Workers: Application for Adjustment to Permanent Resident Status	I-700	Sec. 210(a)(2) of the INA
L6 - Special Agricultural Workers: Termination of Temporary Residence Status	I-700	Sec. 210(a)(3) of the INA
L7 - Application for Status of Certain Haitian Nationals Application for Status of Certain Cuban Nationals	I-485	8 CFR 245.18
	I-485	Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966
L8 - Legalization and SAW: Application for Waiver of Grounds of Excludability	I-690	Sec. 210, 210a, 245a of the INA
M1 - Application for Temporary Protective Status	I-821	Sec. 244, 8 U.S.C. 8 1254 of the INA
M2 - Invalidation of Temporary Labor Certificates Issued by Governor of Guam Invalidation of Temporary Labor Certificates Issued by the Governor of Guam	None	Sec. 214.2(h)(6)(v)(H)(3) of the INA
	None	Sec. 214.2(h)(6)(v) of the INA
M3 - Adjustment of A, E, or G to Nonimmigrant Application for Change of Non-Immigrant Status Application for Change of Non-Immigrant Status Pursuant to 8 CFR 248.3(a) Adjustment of Status of Certain Resident Aliens to Nonimmigrant Status (A, E, G)	I-508	Sec. 247.12(b) of the INA
	I-539	Sec. 248.3(a) of the INA
	I-539	Sec. 248.3(A) of the INA
M4 - Application for Authorization to Issue Certification for Health Care Workers	I-905	Sec. 214.2(1)(15)(ii) of the INA
M5- Certifications Other	None	Sec. 103.4 of the INA

Last updated: 12/21/2011