Must the USCIS abide by the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)?

[FranckDernoncourt]

I wonder whether the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) must abide by the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) or the CFR is just a set of guidelines that aren't legally binding (i.e., the USCIS may take actions/decisions that contradict the CFR without potentially facing legal consequences).

I'm mostly interested in the part of the CFR that pertains to the naturalization process.

[newacct]

Yes, generally, the CFR is binding, although the avenue of appeal varies for different types of applications.