USCIS orders green card applicants to file abroad
PUBLISHED May 22, 2026, 2:05 PM ET
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Washington — The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued a policy memorandum on Friday requiring most temporary visa holders and humanitarian parolees who are living in the United States to return to their home countries and complete green card applications through consular processing abroad. The directive generally ends the practice of allowing adjustment of status inside the U.S., limiting in-country processing to 'extraordinary circumstances,' USCIS said. "We're returning to the original intent of the law to ensure aliens navigate our nation's immigration system properly," USCIS spokesperson Zach Kahler said in a statement. USCIS said the change affects a wide range of people, including students, tourists, temporary workers, refugees, asylum seekers and those married to U.S. citizens, and directed officers to assess exceptions on a case-by-case basis. Aid groups and immigration lawyers expressed concern about travel burdens and the likelihood of legal challenges in response to the memorandum.
By Lauren Mitchell | JQJO News
Timeline of Events
- Longstanding practice allowed many nonimmigrants to seek adjustment of status inside the U.S.
- USCIS on Friday issued a policy memo directing most applicants to pursue consular processing abroad.
- USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler said in the released statement that exceptions will be rare and case-by-case.
- Aid groups and immigration lawyers reported confusion and concern following the announcement this week.
- USCIS instructed its officers to evaluate extraordinary circumstances and deferred certain adjudicative responsibilities to consular posts.
News Intelligence
- If you or someone you know is in the U.S. on a temporary visa or humanitarian parole, this change could affect you. It means most will have to return home to apply for a green card. This could disrupt plans and add travel costs. Check with an immigration lawyer for advice.
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The Department of Homeland Security and proponents of stricter immigration enforcement benefit from the policy, which shifts adjudication abroad and aims to reduce in‑country adjustment of status requests.
Temporary visa holders, humanitarian parolees, U.S.-based family members, and immigration attorneys suffered added travel burdens, procedural delays, and potential family separation due to mandated consular processing.
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will only grant "adjustment of status" in extraordinary circumstances - ExBulletin
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