What Happened on May 22, 2026? 

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a Policy Memorandum (PM) entitled “Adjustment of Status is a Matter of Discretion and Administrative Grace, and an Extraordinary Relief that Permits Applicants to Dispense with the Ordinary Consular Visa Process.” The PM reminds USCIS officers that adjustment of status (AOS) under Section 245 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) is a not an entitlement, but a matter of discretion. The PM also suggests that the ability to adjust status to permanent resident is an administrative grace and is not designed to “supersede” the processing of immigrant visas at US consulates overseas. The PM goes on to explain the current administration’s interpretation of the law—that “aliens are generally expected to pursue an immigrant visa… from outside the United Status if they wish to reside permanently in this county.”  Finally, the PM provides USCIS officers with guidance on exercising discretion, including the factors that must be considered when deciding “whether the alien is suitable for permanent residence” and whether approval of the AOS application “is in the best interests of the United States.”  

 

Does This Mean that All Intending Immigrants Must Now Apply for Immigrant Visas at a U.S. Consulate Overseas Rather Than Through AOS in the United States? 

No. The Press Release accompanying the release of the PM contained a misleading statement by USCIS Spokesman Zach Kahler that “[f]rom now on, an alien who is in the U.S. temporarily and wants a  Green Card must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances.” However, the PM does not require all green card applicants to file immigrant visa applications abroad, and AOS remains available as a legal path to permanent residency that is authorized by Congress. The PM acknowledges that AOS is permissible for applicants whose circumstances support a favorable exercise of discretion. 

The PM also uses language to indicate that AOS is an “exception to the regular consular process,” reflecting a policy preference by USCIS, but, again, does not prohibit the pursuit of permanent residence through AOS. The PM should therefore not be interpreted as eliminating AOS as a process through which permanent residence in the United States may be obtained.

 

If AOS is not Being Eliminated, Are New Restrictions Being Placed on this Process? 

No, the restrictions are not new. AOS has always been a discretionary benefit. The PM appears to encourage USCIS officers to exercise their discretion more aggressively in denying AOS applications. The PM instructs officers to consider all relevant information “in the totality of the circumstances” and notes that AOS applicants bear the burden of showing why USCIS should exercise favorable discretion to the applicant.  The PM adds that AOS approvals should be “extraordinary” and explains that diverting applicants to consular processing through the Department of State would free up resources at USCIS. 

 

When is this Policy Memorandum Effective? 

Because the PM is not presented as a change in policy, it does not have an effective date. Instead, the PM restates the existing law related to AOS applications and emphasizes that AOS approval is not guaranteed, even for someone who meets all the regulatory criteria. The language of the PM indicates that USCIS, under the current administration, believes that AOS should be an exception to the “regular” process of pursuing an immigrant visa from outside the US. In every year since 2018, more immigrants became permanent residents through the AOS process than through consular processing abroad. Therefore, although the PM is not presented as a new policy, it indicates a view of AOS as a disfavored path to permanent residency, which will likely result in more scrutiny and higher standards by USCIS officers, for newly filed AOS applications as well as those that are already filed and pending. 

 

What Are the Relevant Factors that USCIS Officers Consider? 

The PM itemizes a number of factors that USCIS officers should consider in determining whether or not to exercise their discretion to approve an AOS application.  These include the following: 

• Any violations of immigration laws or the conditions of any immigration status held; 
• Fraud or false testimony in dealings with USCIS or any government agency; 
• Any conduct of the alien after admission as a nonimmigrant or parolee inconsistent with the purpose of that nonimmigrant status or parole or with representations made to consular or DHS officers when applying for a visa, admission, or parole; 
• Family ties; 
• Immigration status and history; and 
• Moral character. 

If a USCIS officer finds that negative factors outweigh positive factors, it is possible that the AOS application will be denied and the applicant required to apply for an immigrant visa at a U.S. consulate overseas. Depending on his/her underlying nonimmigrant status, an applicant whose AOS is denied may be required to depart the US. 

 

Should Nonimmigrants Still File AOS Applications? 

Given the PM’s recency, USCIS’s implementation of it remains unpredictable, and it is unclear how aggressively USCIS officers will implement the PM’s guidance. We believe, however, that an intending AOS applicant who has at all times maintained lawful status in the United States, has had no interaction with law enforcement and has not engaged in conduct that would call into question his or her moral character will merit a favorable exercise of discretion because the positive factors will outweigh any negative factors.  Such persons should ensure, however, that their social media activity does not include any actions or statements that could be deemed problematic by the U.S. government.   

 

Can USCIS Deny an AOS Application Based Solely on a Review of the Application or is an Interview Required? 

The PM does not address this issue, but it appears to have been drafted with the assumption that USCIS officers need not conduct an interview with the AOS applicant before issuing a denial.  The PM does make it clear, however, that officers denying AOS applications must issue a denial notice explaining in writing the specific reasons for denial. The notice must include an analysis containing the positive and negative factors considered, along with an explanation of why the negative factors outweigh the positive factors. USCIS officers would likely need to issue a Request for Evidence (RFE) or conduct an interview to gather sufficient information to issue a denial. 

 

Will USCIS Issue Further Guidance on the Implementation of the PM? 

The PM states that USCIS may provide “policy guidance specific to certain adjustment of status categories or discrete populations of aliens” to assist officers in identifying those applications that may or may not warrant a positive exercise of discretion.  It is unclear at the moment what is meant by “discrete populations of aliens,” but it is unlikely that the community of nonimmigrants with statuses that allow employment (such as H-1B, L-1, O-1, and TN statuses) will be targeted.