USCIS Request for Evidence (RFE): what it means and what to do

An RFE is not a denial — USCIS is asking for more documents and has put your case on hold until you answer: one complete package, received by one date.

GlassRead marks the loaded words on the letter itself — tap any for a plain-language card — and opens a calm panel beside it: your deadline, the checklist, the question you'd be afraid to ask.

Example letter — the real RFE form shape with a fictional case. Yours will look like this.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration ServicesPotomac Service Center
(official form shape · fictional case)
REQUEST FOR EVIDENCE
I-485, Application to Register
Permanent Residence
Receipt #: PSC·····4187
Notice date: June 8, 2026
Response due
September 5, 2026
Responses
One (1) — complete
Case status
On hold, pending
You must submit the evidence listed below
USCIS is requesting additional evidence to continue processing your Form I-485. Your case is on hold until we receive your response or the deadline passes.
Evidence requested
  • A currently valid Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination, completed and sealed by a designated civil surgeon.
  • Evidence that your sponsor’s income meets 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or a joint sponsor’s Form I-864 with supporting tax documents.
  • Copies of every page of your current passport, including the biographic page and all stamps.
How to respond

Submit ALL of the requested evidence in one package, with this letter on top, to the address on page 2, so that it is received by September 5, 2026.

If you do not respond

If you do not respond by the deadline, your application may be decided based on the record, which may result in denial. A partial response may be treated as a request for a decision on the record.

RFE · I-485 · one response permittedPage 1 of 2

Got one of these?

Paste yours and read it the same way — every loaded term explained in place, your deadline anchored, and the response checklist laid out item by item.

Paste yours

Attorney or accredited representative? Put this explainer on your site.

This page shows the real RFE form shape with a fictional case · tap any marked term for a plain-language explanation · GlassRead never alters the document — the lens sits beside it.
For understanding, not legal advice, and never a substitute for an attorney or DOJ-accredited representative. Grounded only in this letter; every claim cites its section.