The “No Blank Space” rule rejection policy is a standard used by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to determine the acceptability of certain immigration filings. Under this policy, USCIS rejected certain filings that had blank fields or spaces. This standard was applied to:

  • Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal;
  • Form I-918, Petition for U Nonimmigrant Status; and
  • Form I-918, Supplement A, Petition for Qualifying Family Member of U-1 Recipient.

USCIS, however, recently settled a case that will eliminate this “No Blank Space” rule rejection policy. Under the new rule, an individual whose form was rejected under the “No Blank Space” rule rejection policy may resubmit their request on or before July 20, 2022. If the individual resubmits their request before the deadline, they will receive a receipt for their filing which will show the filing date of the form as reflecting the date the original request was rejected; the filing date on the form will be the same date USCIS rejected the original form. This new rule applies to individuals even if they resubmitted their forms prior to the date USCIS settled this case (July 20, 2021).

USCIS agreed to notify individuals who would benefit from this new rule. USCIS also encourages individuals to review the settlement themselves to find specific information regarding the resubmission of their rejected forms.

If you have questions about any immigration-related topic, contact us at ILBSG. We work with you to address your specific situation and ensure you get the right advice

Form I-589 Form I-918 immigration No Blank Space Rule