A request for evidence (RFE) is a letter or notice from USCIS issued to an applicant or petitioner when the adjudication officer feels that there is insufficient information and/or supporting evidence submitted or and/or needs clarity in the matter. RFEs are issued in all types of cases that are adjudicated by USCIS.
The adjudicating officers generally use customizable RFE templates in preparing the RFEs. Receiving an RFE is not a bad sign. RFEs are extremely important and must be handled very carefully, as they often are the basis of an approval or denial of a pending application/petition. They should be answered very carefully, and the response should be sent back to the USCIS within the stated deadline. When an RFE is issued, the processing of the case is stopped until the RFE response is received. The processing restarts after the response is received and adjudicated finally. Unfortunately, this often delays issuance of related immigration benefits. RFEs are commonly issued for several reasons:
Insufficient or lack of supporting documents
Incorrect information filled in the application/petition (sometimes due to clerical errors)
Inconsistent information on the forms and documentary evidence submitted
Missing or insufficient information needed to decide the case
Birth and/or Marriage certificates or other official documents and translations
Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Records
Questions regarding eligibility for the immigration benefit being sought