26 May 2026

USCIS announces new policy designed to limit Adjustment of Status

On 22 May 2026, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the release of a new Policy Memorandum outlining the agency's intent to approve adjustment of status (AOS) applications "only in extraordinary circumstances." This change would represent a significant departure from longstanding practice as the agency currently approves several hundred thousand of these applications each fiscal year. The new Policy Memorandum (PM-602-0199) reminds officers adjudicating AOS applications that this benefit is "a matter of discretion and administrative grace not designed to supersede the regular consular processing of immigrant visas."

A Tax Alert prepared by EY Law LLP group, and attached below, provides additional details.

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Attachment

Full text of Tax Alert

Document ID: 2026-1120