What the memo says. On May 22, 2026 USCIS issued Policy Memorandum PM-602-0199 reframing adjustment of status (AOS) — the path used by roughly 700,000 to 1 million applicants per year to obtain a green card from inside the U.S. without leaving the country — as 'extraordinary discretionary relief' and an 'act of administrative grace.' The memo's text declares that an alien who is in the U.S. temporarily and wants a green card 'must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances.' On June 1, 2026 the American Immigration Council updated its primer to reflect that USCIS has since said the memo will be implemented on a case-by-case basis, meaning many immigrants may still be able to remain in the U.S. while adjusting. H-1B and L-1 workers and their dependents are specifically noted as potentially less impacted due to dual-intent regulations.备忘录内容:2026 年 5 月 22 日,USCIS 发布政策备忘录 PM-602-0199,将"身份转换(adjustment of status, AOS——指无须离境,在美国本土申请绿卡的程序)"——每年约 70 万至 100 万人使用——重新定性为"特殊酌情救济"和"行政恩典"。原文称:暂时在美的外国人若想获得绿卡,"须返回原籍国申请,特殊情形除外"。2026 年 6 月 1 日,美国移民委员会更新解读:USCIS 此后表示将按个案处理,许多申请人仍可在美境内办理转换。H-1B、L-1 工作签证及其家属因"双重意图(dual-intent)"条款,受影响相对较小。
Why this matters for Chinese-American Bellevue families. The single largest group affected is family-based applicants — parents and adult children of U.S. citizens or green-card holders who have been waiting in line domestically. The memo creates real uncertainty about whether to file Form I-485 now (and risk a denial that strands the applicant inside the U.S.) or wait for clarifying litigation. For visiting parents who entered on B-2 tourist visas with the intention of later adjusting through a U.S.-citizen child: that path is now substantially riskier under the new framing. For H-1B engineers at Microsoft, Amazon, and the Eastside biotech corridor whose I-485s are pending: the dual-intent carve-out suggests less immediate risk, but consult counsel before any international travel.对贝尔维尤华裔家庭的意义:受影响最大的是亲属类申请人——美国公民或绿卡持有者的父母、成年子女中正在等待境内审批的群体。备忘录使一个现实抉择充满不确定性:现在递交 I-485 表(境内绿卡申请,可能被拒并困在美国),还是等司法澄清?对持 B-2 旅游签证入境、原计划通过美国公民子女在境内申请的探亲父母来说,该路径在新框架下风险显著升高。对微软、亚马逊以及东区生物科技走廊的 H-1B 工程师且 I-485 在审者:双重意图条款显示风险较小,但出境前务必先咨询律师。
What to do this week. (1) Anyone with a pending I-485 should not change course based on this memo alone — call an immigration attorney before filing, withdrawing, or traveling internationally. CISC (Chinese Information & Service Center, 206-624-5633) and NWIRP (Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, 206-587-4009) both offer Mandarin consultations at sliding-scale fees. (2) The AIC's June 1 update is at americanimmigrationcouncil.org — bookmark it; their primer will be the most up-to-date plain-English explainer as the case-by-case standard takes shape. (3) The most-cited precedent for the inevitable lawsuits is Saghafi v. Edlow (D. Md., April 2026); attorneys are already drafting briefs. Expect litigation within 60 days. (4) Do not rely on social-media headlines — both 'AOS is dead' and 'nothing has changed' are oversimplifications; the truth is genuinely case-by-case until courts rule.本周建议行动:(一)任何 I-485 在审者,请勿仅凭本备忘录改变方向——递交、撤回、出境前先咨询移民律师。CISC(华人资讯与服务中心,206-624-5633)与 NWIRP(西北移民权益项目,206-587-4009)均提供普通话咨询,按收入浮动收费。(二)AIC 6 月 1 日的更新见 americanimmigrationcouncil.org——请收藏;随着"按个案"标准成型,该解读将是最及时的中文以外平实英文解释。(三)业内最常引用的先例是 Saghafi 诉 Edlow 案(马里兰联邦地区法院,2026 年 4 月);律师们已开始撰写诉状。预计 60 天内有诉讼。(四)勿轻信社媒标题——"境内绿卡死亡"与"什么都没变"都是过度简化;在法院作出裁决前,真相确为"按个案"。