NSC Agrees to an RFE Fax-Out / Fax-Back System
Posted Jul 14, 2000

The INS Nebraska Service Center (NSC) has agreed, in light of recent discussions with the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), to anew fax-out / fax-back system. This will enable adjudication officers to fax certain simple Requests for Evidence (RFEs), and allow attorneys to respond by fax.

Under this system, the NSC will fax an RFE if it involves a simple issue capable of being resolved by fax. The RFE will instruct the attorney to respond to a dedicated NSC fax number within 72 hours of issuance of the RFE. If the attorney does not respond within 72 hours, the regular 87-daytime frame, within which all RFEs must be addressed, will be used; and the RFE response will be treated the same as if it had arrived by mail.

If inappropriate documents are faxed, the NSC may decide to terminate the RFE fax-out / fax-back program. In an effort to sustain this new option, AILA is urging its members not to abuse the program, and to send only items specifically requested by an RFE that the NSC sends by fax. Thus, if an RFE is received via mail, it is necessary to respond to the RFE via mail, and not by means of the fax-back program.