USCIS RFE Response Drafter
As soon as an RFE arrives, to break it into answerable issues, assign evidence-gathering tasks with time to spare, and get a structured first draft of the cover letter and exhibit index.
A Request for Evidence puts a case on a clock. USCIS bundles several concerns into one notice, sometimes repeating boilerplate, sometimes misreading what was filed, and the response has to answer every point completely because there is usually one chance to do it. The hard part is rarely the writing. It is figuring out exactly what each paragraph is asking for and getting the client, employer or third parties to produce the evidence in time.
This prompt starts by splitting the RFE into discrete issues and quoting the language for each, so nothing is answered from memory. It then builds an evidence map showing what was already submitted, what is new, what is missing and who must provide it. Only then does it draft the cover letter, issue by issue in USCIS's own order, along with an exhibit index and a list of gaps with internal due dates. It is the prompt version of the RFE response workflow on this site.
Regulations and USCIS policy change, and the prompt leaves legal standards as placeholders unless the RFE quotes them. The attorney must verify every citation against current sources, confirm the deadline and submission instructions on the notice itself, and decide how to argue each issue. Claude is told not to invent or embellish evidence; the attorney remains responsible for the accuracy of everything submitted to the agency.
The Prompt
I represent the [PETITIONER / APPLICANT / BENEFICIARY] in a [FORM TYPE AND BENEFIT, e.g., I-140 EB-2, I-129 H-1B, I-130] case. USCIS issued the Request for Evidence below. The response is due [DATE FROM THE RFE]. <rfe> [PASTE THE FULL RFE TEXT] </rfe> <original_filing_summary> [LIST EXHIBITS ORIGINALLY SUBMITTED, OR PASTE THE ORIGINAL COVER LETTER] </original_filing_summary> <new_evidence> [LIST OR DESCRIBE EVIDENCE NOW AVAILABLE OR OBTAINABLE] </new_evidence> Step 1. Break the RFE into each discrete deficiency or request. For each, quote the RFE language exactly, then state in one line what USCIS appears to be asking for. Step 2. Output an evidence map table: Issue # | RFE language (quoted) | Evidence already submitted | New evidence to submit | Gap or weakness | Who must provide it (client, employer, third party) | Status Step 3. Draft a response cover letter that addresses each issue in the order USCIS raised it, with a heading per issue, a short argument tied to the evidence, and exhibit references. Where legal standards are needed, use [REGULATION / POLICY MANUAL CITE] placeholders unless the RFE itself quotes the standard; if it does, quote the RFE. Step 4. Draft an exhibit index (exhibit letter or number, description, issue it answers). Step 5. List every gap the client must fill before the deadline, with a suggested internal due date, and flag any RFE request that seems to misread the original filing. Do not invent evidence, and do not describe documents beyond what I listed. This is a draft for my review; I will verify all legal citations against current regulations and USCIS policy.
Example Output
An issue-by-issue evidence map, a cover letter draft with a heading for each RFE request, an exhibit index, and a dated list of gaps the client must fill.
Illustrative example — names, figures, and facts are fictional.
RFE ISSUE BREAKDOWN AND EVIDENCE MAP Matter: Northfield Analytics, Inc. for Priya Raman (fictional) | I-140, EB-2 Response due: [DATE FROM RFE] Issue 1 | RFE: "The record does not establish that the beneficiary possessed the required experience as of the priority date." Already submitted: Exh. F, letter from former employer (no dates of employment) New: Revised experience letter with start/end dates, title, duties, hours per week Gap: Former employer must sign on letterhead | Who: Client to request | Status: Open Issue 2 | RFE: "Submit evidence of the petitioner's ability to pay the proffered wage from the priority date onward." Already submitted: Exh. K, offer letter New: Beneficiary's W-2s and pay records from the petitioner; [OTHER EVIDENCE TYPES PER REGULATION / POLICY MANUAL CITE] Gap: Confirm which years are needed | Who: Employer HR | Status: Open COVER LETTER (EXCERPT) Re: Response to Request for Evidence, Receipt No. [RECEIPT NUMBER] Issue 1: Qualifying Experience USCIS requested evidence that the beneficiary had the required experience as of the priority date. The enclosed letter from Westbrook Data Ltd. (Exhibit R-1) [CONFIRM AGAINST SIGNED LETTER] states that Ms. Raman was employed as a "Senior Data Engineer" from [DATE] to [DATE], full time, and describes her duties... EXHIBIT INDEX R-1 | Experience letter, Westbrook Data Ltd. | Issue 1 R-2 | Beneficiary W-2 forms, [YEARS] | Issue 2 CLIENT GAPS (internal due dates) - Signed experience letter: [DATE, two weeks before deadline] - W-2s and payroll records: [DATE] Note: Original Exh. F, p. 2 already states Ms. Raman's title and duties, and the RFE does not mention it. Point to it, but the revised letter is still needed for the dates. Draft for attorney review. Verify all citations against current regulations and USCIS policy.
Tips
- •Run Steps 1 and 2 the day the RFE arrives and send the gap list to the client right away; the evidence, not the letter, is usually the bottleneck.
- •Follow the submission instructions printed in the RFE itself, and confirm the response deadline on the notice (including whether the response must be received, not just sent, by that date) rather than relying on any general rule.
- •Check every regulation and policy citation against the current text before filing; the prompt leaves them as placeholders for that reason.
- •If USCIS misread the original filing, say so politely in the cover letter and point to the specific exhibit and page.
- •Use the criteria evidence mapper prompt first for O-1, EB-1 or NIW RFEs that challenge specific criteria.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Claude tell me the legal standard USCIS is applying?
Only if the RFE quotes it. Otherwise the prompt uses placeholders, because regulations and the USCIS Policy Manual are updated and an outdated standard can sink a response. Research the current requirement yourself and fill in the citation. If the RFE quotes a standard, Claude will quote the RFE back so your response tracks the agency's own framing.
What if the RFE misreads what we already filed?
The prompt asks Claude to flag requests that seem to overlook existing evidence. Confirm by checking the original exhibit, then address it directly in the cover letter by pointing to the exhibit and page, while still adding supplemental evidence where it helps. A respectful, specific correction is usually better than simply resubmitting the same document.
How should I handle a very long RFE with boilerplate?
Paste the full text anyway. Claude will separate distinct requests from repeated boilerplate, but you should check that it did not merge two separate requests or skip a paragraph. Compare the issue count against your own read of the notice before relying on the map.
Is client data safe to paste here?
RFEs and supporting documents contain sensitive personal information. Review your confidentiality obligations and the data handling of the account you are using before uploading. Redact identifiers that the analysis does not need, such as A-numbers or passport numbers, and restore them in your final draft outside the chat.
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