Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Program

Update August 17, 2021

USCIS issued another reminder that the deadline to submit green card applications for Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness (LRIF) from eligible Liberians and their immediate family members is December 20, 2021.

Q.  What are the requirements for a family member to adjust status based on LRIF?

A.  To adjust based on LRIF, each family member must:

  • Properly file his or her own Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, which must be received by USCIS on or before December 20, 2021;
  • Be admissible to the United States for lawful permanent residence or eligible for a waiver of inadmissibility or other form of relief; and
  • Establish their qualifying relationship to the Liberian principal applicant. The qualifying relationship may have been created before or after the Liberian principal applicant’s adjustment, but it must exist on the date of filing and date of adjudication of the family member’s adjustment application.

Eligible family members may file their adjustment application:

  • Together with the Liberian principal applicant’s LRIF-based adjustment application; or
  • After the Liberian principal applicant filed an LRIF-based adjustment application that remains pending a final decision or was approved by USCIS.

An eligible family member may not adjust status before the qualifying Liberian principal applicant. Adjustment of family members must be concurrent with or subsequent to the Liberian principal applicant’s adjustment to LPR status.

Eligible family members do not need to:

  • Demonstrate Liberian nationality; or
  • Demonstrate continuous physical presence in the U.S. since Nov. 20, 2014.

Update June 17, 2021

USCIS today announced that it is updating guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual regarding eligibility for adjustment of status under Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness (LRIF). The updated guidance clarifies what evidence an applicant may submit to establish Liberian nationality when applying for adjustment of status under LRIF.

The updated guidance includes examples of secondary evidence that could support an applicant’s claim of Liberian nationality, as part of the totality of the evidence. These examples include, but are not limited to, expired Liberian passports, baptismal records or other religious documents, school records, and medical records. USCIS will evaluate all evidence an applicant provides, including the applicant’s testimony during an interview, to evaluate their eligibility for adjustment of status.

Under Section 7611 of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2020, certain Liberian nationals are eligible for permanent residence (a Green Card). The spouses, unmarried children under 21, and unmarried sons and daughters 21 or older of eligible Liberian nationals who are principal applicants also may be eligible for Green Cards. USCIS will accept properly filed applications from LRIF applicants until Dec. 20, 2021.

Update June 9, 2021

As a reminder, the deadline to file green card under LRIF is December 20, 2021. Our LRIF filing was filed on December 16, 2020. Although I-485 is still pending, the applicant’s I-761 (EAD) and I-131 (AP) were both approved on May 19, 2021. Compared to other EADs, this was processed extremely fast.

Original Post March 29, 2021

Enacted on December 20, 2019, the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness program gives eligible Liberian nationals
and certain family members in the United States a one-year window, until December 20, 2021, to apply for adjustment of status (green card).