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ARTICLE · 22 MAY 2026

U.S. Immigration Updates – June 2026

Klasko Immigration Law Partners
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has issued new policy guidance significantly restricting adjustment of status applications, while enhanced security vetting procedures are causing widespread delays across multiple visa categories. These developments coincide with proposed elimination of duration of status for F, J, and I visa holders and expanded fingerprint requirements that are reshaping the immigration landscape for employers, foreign nationals, and educational institutions.

GlobalImmigration
Klasko
Klasko
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U.S. Immigration

New USCIS Policy Limits Adjustment of Status

On May 22, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a new policy memorandum, issued May 21, 2026, that addresses how officers should exercise discretion in adjustment of status (AOS) adjudications. USCIS said that it views immigrant visa processing at a U.S. consulate abroad as the default route to a green card for most people, with AOS applications filed inside the U.S. treated as a discretionary option.

What Has Changed

Historically, USCIS officers exercising discretion in adjustment cases followed longstanding agency and Board of Immigration Appeals precedent recognizing that favorable discretion ordinarily should be exercised where applicants establish eligibility and do not present significant adverse factors such as fraud, criminal conduct, or substantial immigration violations.

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