US Green Card Policy Update (May 2026)
Here is a brief note summarizing the recent major shift in the US Green Card policy & its specific impact on Indian applicants. US Green Card Policy Update (May 2026) 1. The Core Policy Change The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a sweeping policy memorandum that upends a half-century-old practice. The New Mandate : Foreign nationals residing in the US on temporary/non-immigrant visas (such as H-1B, F-1, or B-1/B-2) are now generally required to leave the United States and apply for their Green Cards via consular processing in their home countries. The "Grace" Clause: Domestic "Adjustment of Status" (Form I-485)—which previously allowed applicants to stay and work in the US while their permanent residency processed—is now classified as an “extraordinary act of administrative grace.” It will only be granted under exceptional circumstances on a case-by-case basis. 2. Why the Shift? ...
