Marriage used to be a glide path to citizenship. Now there are more speed bumps

Trump Administration Expands Vetting Requirements for Marriage-Based Green Card Applications

The Trump administration has directed U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to apply additional screening steps to petitions filed by U.S. citizens on behalf of their noncitizen spouses. These steps include mandatory in-person interviews for adjustment-of-status cases and limits on approvals outside specified circumstances. The changes follow a May 2026 policy memorandum, PM-602-0199, which instructs officers to verify identities, personal histories, and compliance with immigration law in all cases.

Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, including spouses, have long been exempt from annual numerical caps that apply to other family-based and employment-based categories. Spouses may adjust status without maintaining continuous lawful presence in some circumstances. At the same time, federal law requires USCIS to determine that each petition is bona fide and that the applicant is admissible. The administration has stated that prior practices did not apply uniform standards across all applicants.

USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler said the agency is required to conduct rigorous screening for every person seeking immigration benefits. He noted that a pending or approved Form I-130 does not confer lawful status and that individuals present without inspection or beyond authorized stay remain subject to enforcement. The agency has cited the need to address potential fraud and to ensure consistency with statutory requirements.

Data from the Department of Homeland Security for fiscal year 2024 show that 343,000 people obtained green cards through spousal petitions, representing roughly one-quarter of all green-card grants that year. When immediate relatives such as parents and minor children are included, the total exceeds half of all family-based approvals. Processing times averaged 13 months for family petitions and seven months for fiancé petitions in the periods immediately preceding the new directives. In the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, 167,401 immediate-relative petitions and 8,612 fiancé petitions were approved.

Advocates for affected families have reported increased interview requirements and longer review periods. Ashley DeAzevedo, executive director of American Families United, stated that the organization’s membership has grown and that some members have chosen to depart the United States rather than remain during extended proceedings. Sharvari Dalal-Dheini of the American Immigration Lawyers Association said spouses of U.S. citizens have historically received expedited processing relative to other categories but remain subject to the same underlying eligibility rules.

The policy memorandum PM-602-0199 directs officers to conduct in-person interviews in every adjustment-of-status case and to approve applications outside the United States only under extraordinary circumstances. USCIS has indicated the measures are intended to close procedural gaps that previously allowed some applicants to bypass full vetting. Officers are also instructed to examine evidence of the marriage’s validity and the applicant’s immigration history more closely.

Several U.S. citizens married to nationals of countries subject to visa pauses implemented in 2025 have described delays in naturalization and consular processing. One green-card holder from a country covered by the pause, who spoke on condition of anonymity because her husband is an active-duty service member, said her citizenship application filed in 2025 has not been adjudicated. The couple postponed an overseas military assignment while awaiting a decision. No statutory exception for military spouses exists under the current pause.

Immigration attorney Eric Welsh reported that clients are now routinely asked to provide additional documentation of good moral character and travel history, materials not uniformly required in prior years for spousal cases. He noted that adjustment of status remains a discretionary benefit rather than an automatic right.

The number of approved family-based petitions has fluctuated across administrations, with annual totals for spousal green cards ranging between 200,000 and 340,000 over the past decade. USCIS has not released comprehensive data on denial rates or interview outcomes under the new memorandum. Officials have said the additional steps align with existing statutory obligations to verify eligibility before granting permanent residence.

Advocacy groups have described reduced willingness among some couples to initiate or continue petitions. Government statements emphasize that all applicants must demonstrate compliance with immigration law regardless of family relationship. The immediate-relative category continues to operate without numerical limits, but each petition is subject to individualized review for fraud indicators and admissibility.