- Published
- Last reviewed
- Reviewer
- Reviewed by the attorney responsible for site content at Abiiden Immigration (NEEDS_FIRM_INPUT — attorney name)
What an RFE signals
A Request for Evidence means the officer believes the record does not yet establish eligibility. It identifies the specific issues and the evidence the officer wants to see, and it states a deadline.
The deadline printed on your notice controls. Do not rely on a general figure quoted elsewhere; agency practice varies by form and by circumstance.
Building a response
Effective responses are organized so an adjudicator can find each requested item without hunting for it.
- Include a copy of the RFE itself on top, as the instructions require.
- Address every requested item, in the order requested, even if the answer is that a document does not exist.
- Explain unavailable documents with secondary evidence and, where appropriate, an explanation of unavailability.
- Index exhibits and reference them explicitly in a cover response.
- Send everything together in one submission before the deadline, with proof of delivery.
What not to do
Do not send a partial response intending to supplement later; the officer may adjudicate on what is in the file at the deadline. Do not send a large volume of unrelated documents, which can obscure the responsive evidence. Do not contradict statements made in the original filing without explaining the discrepancy.