US Immigration Law Watch

Starting May 29, asylum seekers with cases pending over one year must pay a $102 annual fee.

• Non-payment triggers case dismissal, asylum denial,...

No significant updates today.

The U.S. Consulate General in Kolkata launched three category-based nonimmigrant visa pilots to tackle long scheduling waits across India.

• B1/B2...

• Family sponsorship is one of the most common routes to U.S. green cards for spouses, parents, and children.
• Key distinctions include immediate...

• AOS remains available but officers must now weigh discretionary factors more deliberately for employment-based cases.
• Employers face heightened...

USCIS Policy Memo on Adjustment of Status

• 🔥 PM-602-0199 Issued: On May 21-22, 2026, USCIS released policy memo PM-602-0199 stating that...

• Legal view: Memo reframes AOS as "extraordinary relief" via totality-of-circumstances analysis
• Practitioner take: RFEs increasing; memo is policy,...

• Family categories forecast small advances: F2A up 4-6 weeks for most countries, F4 Philippines +4-6 weeks, while Mexico F3 sees little movement
  -...

USCIS now requires stronger evidence that applicants merit favorable discretion under the new memo.

• Visa overstays treated as negative factors but...

The May 21, 2026 USCIS policy memo (PM-602-0199) reframes Adjustment of Status as an act of administrative grace rather than a right, introducing...

USCIS Policy Memo on Adjustment of Status

• 🔥 PM-602-0199 Issued: USCIS published Policy Memorandum PM-602-0199 on May 21-23, 2026, directing...

The May 2026 USCIS memo treats adjustment of status as discretionary grace under Matter of Blas, requiring officers to weigh positive and negative...

Two simultaneous policy shifts tighten the path for employment-based green cards, hitting Indian H-1B workers hardest.

• Visa retrogression: June...

USCIS May 2026 AOS Policy Memo

• 🔥 New Discretion Framework: USCIS issued PM-602-0199 on May 21, 2026, framing adjustment of status under INA 245...

• Affected groups: Marriage-based, employment-based, H-1B, F-1 student, and B-2 visitor I-485 cases now under heightened review
• Core policy shift:...

After months of waiting and checking, the May 2026 shift means employment-based I-485 filings now require current final action dates instead of the...

USCIS's May 21, 2026 memo PM-6020199 reframes adjustment of status as "extraordinary relief" rather than a statutory right, potentially forcing...

• April DOS action made EB-2/EB-3 current in Dates for Filing, prompting AOS prep by employers
• USCIS switch to Final Action Dates for May/June AOS...

The May 2026 memo frames AOS as discretionary extraordinary relief, not an entitlement, prompting officers to weigh factors like status violations and...

USCIS Policy Memos

• 🔥 Adjustment of Status as Discretionary Relief: USCIS issued policy memo PM-602-0199 on May 21, 2026, stating that...