Adjustment of status is now discretionary relief
Since 21 May 2026 meeting the technical requirements for a green card from inside the US is no longer sufficient on its own.
What changed
USCIS issued a policy memorandum stating that adjustment of status — applying for lawful permanent residence from within the United States — is a discretionary form of immigrant relief.
What it means for you
Satisfying every eligibility requirement no longer guarantees an approval. The strength of the overall record, and how it reads as a whole, now carries weight it did not carry before.
This rewards exactly what a complete, internally consistent evidence file does, and punishes the filing that technically qualifies but is thin, contradictory or unexplained.
Sources
- USCIS redefines adjustment of status as discretionary reliefread 18 September 2026
- USCIS Policy Manual updatesread 18 September 2026