Overview
- USCIS issued a policy memo on May 22 that treats in‑country adjustment of status as an “extraordinary” remedy and generally requires nonimmigrant visa holders to return to their home country to complete a green card application.
- The change affects students, H‑1B workers, tourists and many family‑based applicants who for decades could apply for permanent residence without leaving the United States.
- USCIS said officers may grant exceptions on a case‑by‑case basis for applicants who provide an economic benefit or are in the national interest, but the agency did not define those categories or say how pending applications will be handled.
- Advocates and immigration lawyers warn the shift could overload U.S. consulates, create long delays, force separations when consular services are limited or closed and expose some applicants to reentry bans if they depart.
- Legal and political challenges are likely because critics say a policy of this scale normally requires formal rulemaking, and the move fits a wider pattern of the administration tightening legal immigration channels.