On Friday, May 22, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy memo addressing how officers should exercise discretion in adjustment of status (AOS) adjudications for those seeking to obtain permanent residence (green card).
The policy memo instructs USCIS officers to weigh all relevant factors when exercising their discretion in adjudicating AOS applications, noting that any adverse factors in the applicant’s history may weigh against AOS approval when an individual applies inside the U.S. and instead may require consular immigrant visa processing from abroad.
A USCIS news release issued on the same day stated that it views immigrant visa processing through U.S. consular posts abroad as the default route to a green card, with AOS applications filed inside the U.S. as a matter of discretion.
We will continue to monitor developments and will update this news item as more information becomes available.
