USCIS Update: New Guidelines for Green Card Applications

Latest Update: For now, the best thing you can do is keep working on your application as planned, unless an immigration lawyer tells you otherwise. Refresh this page to see the latest news. May 22, 2025 6:26pm MT

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The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently sent out a reminder memo to its officers. The memo says that approving an "Adjustment of Status" (which is the official name for getting a green card while living in the U.S.) is up to the officer's judgment. Officers were told to look at each case one by one to decide if the applicant is a "good fit" for permanent residence.

Because of this memo, and the social media posts USCIS shared about it, a lot of people in immigrant communities are understandably worried.

What Does This Actually Mean?

The memo points out that this process is "discretionary." That is just a legal word meaning USCIS officers have always had the power to make the final call. They can technically deny an application even if the person meets all the basic requirements. This has actually always been the rule. This isn't the first time USCIS has brought up an old rule to remind its staff how to do things. For example, late last summer, they did something very similar by reminding officers to strictly check the "Good Moral Character" requirement for people applying for citizenship.

Whilel this memo has left people with many questions, please note that we probably won't get more details from USCIS right away. When they updated the Good Moral Character rule last year, it took several weeks before we actually saw how it changed things for applicants.

What You Should Do Next

• Keep Going: Right now, the best move is to keep preparing your application exactly as you planned.
• Seek Guidance: If you have a unique situation or are worried about your specific case, check in with an immigration lawyer.
• We’ve Got Your Back: We are working closely with our partner attorney network and the members of the legal community to figure out the best ways to help applicants at every stage of the process. We will update this page as soon as we know more!

Please rest assured that SimpleCitizen is here to help however we can.

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And, as always, We're Happy You're Here!