Sources Policy
Overview
Vekyo immigration guides rely first on official U.S. government sources. Every guide lists the sources it used, when each was checked and what it supports, and says so when sources are unclear.
Order of authority
- USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services)
- U.S. Department of State, including Travel.State.gov
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- U.S. Department of Labor
- Federal regulations and statutes
- Carefully selected secondary sources, only where an official source does not cover a point, and never as the sole support for a statement
When sources of different rank disagree, the higher-ranked official source is preferred, and we say that the sources differ. When an official source is unclear, we say that it is unclear instead of guessing.
How sources are shown
Numbered notes beside a statement point to the Sources checked list at the bottom of each guide. For each source the list shows the title, the organization, the date we last checked it, the date the source itself shows as last updated, and the claims it supports in that guide.
Some pages also show a separate list called Where to check the current official information. Those are links to official pages that readers should consult directly. They are not among the sources a guide was written from.
Information that changes
Fees, cut-off dates, program deadlines and forms change. Where a guide depends on that kind of information it either tells the reader where to find the current figure or shows the date it was checked. We avoid copying changing figures into guides.
What we do not cite
We do not treat social media posts, forums, anonymous articles or advertising as sources for statements about immigration rules.
Page history
- — Initial publication.
Written by the Vekyo Editorial Team. Read our editorial policy. Please also read the immigration disclaimer.