The Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has launched a search tool for most non-precedent decisions since 2005.
Non-precedent decisions apply existing law and policy to the facts of an individual case. The decisions are binding on the parties to the case, but do not apply new or alternative interpretations of law or policy. However, USCIS occasionally “adopts” an AAO non-precedent decision as binding policy guidance for agency personnel. These decisions are available at Adopted AAO Decisions.
You can search most non-precedent decisions dating back to 2005 via the new search function. If you are searching for an AAO decision before 2005, you can contact the USCIS Freedom of Information and Privacy Act (FOIA) Office. USCIS redacts personally identifiable information and other sensitive material from non-precedent decisions before the decisions are made public.
For AAO precedent decisions, which may announce new legal interpretations or agency policy, visit the website of the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review.
IIUSA Members can view more EB-5 AAO resources in the IIUSA Member Portal.
