Starting April 27, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) implemented a new enhanced FBI security screening process that is affecting the adjudication of immigration benefit requests that require finger-print based background checks. The update requires USCIS officers to conduct additional background vetting before approving eligible cases.
Under the new policy, officers must resubmit certain pending applications for expanded FBI fingerprint and criminal history checks and place cases on hold until the updated review is completed. The change is expected to impact a range of immigration filings, including adjustment of status (green card) applications, asylum cases, naturalization applications, employment authorization documents, and some family-based petitions.
Who is Impacted
The temporary delays primarily affect applicants whose fingerprints were submitted before April 27, as USCIS is now reprocessing those records through the updated vetting system. Newly filed applications may also experience longer processing times while the agency works through the increased review requirements.
If you’ve made it to the green card interview stage, you’re closer than ever to becoming a lawful permanent resident—but it’s also the part that makes many applicants the most nervous. What actually happens in that room? What kinds of questions will they ask?
The green card interview is a chance for immigration officers to verify your application, confirm your eligibility, and ensure everything checks out. Still, the uncertainty can feel overwhelming if you don’t know what to expect.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through exactly what happens during a green card interview, from the moment you arrive to the types of questions you’ll be asked. Whether your application is based on marriage, family, or employment, understanding the process can help you feel more confident, prepared, and in control on the big day.
Importance of the Green Card Interview
The green card interview is one of the most critical steps in the immigration process because it’s where your entire application is reviewed face-to-face by an immigration officer. Up until this point, decisions are largely based on paperwork, but the interview allows the officer to verify your identity, confirm the accuracy of your information, and assess your eligibility in real time.
It’s also an opportunity for them to detect inconsistencies, clarify details, and, in certain cases—such as marriage-based applications—determine whether your relationship is genuine. A successful interview can lead directly to approval, while red flags or incomplete answers may delay your case or even result in denial, making preparation and honesty essential.
Nearly All Green Card Cases Require an Interview in 2026
As of 2026, the vast majority of green card applications now require a mandatory in-person interview as part of the application process. While some categories were previously eligible for interview waivers, changing immigration policies have made in-person review the standard rather than the exception.
This shift allows immigration officers to more thoroughly verify applicant information, assess eligibility, and detect potential inconsistencies or fraud. As a result, applicants across family-based, employment-based, and other categories should plan for an interview and prepare accordingly, treating it as a central step in securing permanent residency.
Are you applying for an immigrant visa and want to know when your priority date will become current? Then you won’t want to miss our analysis of the April 2026 Visa Bulletin.
In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick explains what you can expect to see in terms of the movement of the family-sponsored and employment-based visa categories next month.
USCIS Adjustment of Status
For adjustment of status filings to permanent residence in the month of April, USCIS will continue using the Dates for Filing Chart for the employment-based and family-sponsored categories.
Highlights of the April 2026 Visa Bulletin
At a Glance
What can we expect to see in the month of April?
Employment-Based Categories
Final Action Advancements
EB-1 Aliens of extraordinary ability, Outstanding Professors and Researchers, and Certain Multinational Managers or Executives
EB-1 India and China will advance one month to April 1, 2023
All other countries will remain current
EB-2 Members of the Professions and Aliens of Exceptional Ability
EB-2 India will advance 10 months to July 15, 2014
Except China, all other countries (Worldwide, Mexico, Philippines) will become current
*Note, there is an immigrant visa freeze for all countries subject to the 75-country ban on immigrant visa issuance. Lawsuits opposing the freeze are currently pending.
Overstaying a U.S. visa can feel overwhelming—but it doesn’t always mean your options are gone. In fact, there are legal pathways that may allow certain individuals to remain in the United States even after a visa has expired.
In this post, we’ll break down three lawful options, explain who they may apply to, and clarify common misconceptions—so you can better understand your situation and make informed decisions.
Legal Options After a U.S. Visa Expiration
Option #1 Marriage to a U.S. Citizen
Marriage to a U.S. citizen is one of the most common legal options for individuals who have overstayed a visa. Under U.S. immigration law, spouses of U.S. citizens are considered “immediate relatives,” which means they may be eligible to apply for lawful permanent residence (a green card) from within the United States, even if they later overstayed their visa.
This process typically involves filing several immigration forms, submitting proof that the marriage is bona fide (such as shared finances or living arrangements), completing a medical exam, and attending an in-person interview with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
While a visa overstay is often forgiven, recently there has been an increase in immigration enforcement actions where spouses of U.S. citizens have been detained due to visa overstays, during their marriage-based green card interviews.
Are you applying for an immigrant visa and want to know when your priority date will become current? Then you won’t want to miss our analysis of the January 2026 Visa Bulletin.
In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick explains what you can expect to see in terms of the movement of the family-sponsored and employment-based visa categories in the new year.
USCIS Adjustment of Status
For adjustment of status filings to permanent residence in the month of January, USCIS will be using the Dates for Filing Chart for the employment-based and family-sponsored categories.
Highlights of the January 2026 Visa Bulletin
At a Glance
What can we expect to see in the month of January?
Employment-Based Categories
Final Action Advancements
EB-1 Aliens of extraordinary ability, Outstanding Professors and Researchers, and Certain Multinational Managers or Executives
EB-1 India will advance by 10 months to February 1, 2023
EB-1 China will advance by 10 days to February 1, 2023
EB-2 Members of the Professions and Aliens of Exceptional Ability
EB-2 India will advance by 2 months to July 15, 2013
EB-2 China will advance by 3 months to September 1, 2021
All other countries will advance by 2 months to April 1, 2024
EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers
EB-3 India will advance by 1.8 months to November 15, 2013
EB-3 China will advance by 1 month to May 1, 2021
All other countries will advance by 1 week to April 22, 2023
EB-3 Other Workers
EB-3 India will advance by 1.8 months to November 15, 2013
EB-3 China will advance by 1 year to December 8, 2018
All other countries will advance by 1 month to September 1, 2021
Major changes are coming to the marriage-based green card process in 2026, including stricter vetting, heightened enforcement, expanded evidence requirements, and increased detention of applicants flagged for further review at interviews.
To find out more, please keep on watching.
What to Expect: Shift Toward Heightened Enforcement
In 2025, internal policy shifts at USCIS stopped the issuance of Requests for Evidence, required medical exams to be filed with adjustment applications in a single package, and, most notably, created an unprecedented rise in denials and detentions at green card interviews.
Detentions at Green Card Interviews
In recent months, things took a turn for the worst. USCIS officers have been increasingly working alongside Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to identify and flag green card applicants they believe are potentially ineligible for benefits. Those flagged for additional review have faced immediate detention at their green card interviews.
Although the law allows visa overstays to be forgiven for those married to U.S. citizens, USCIS officers have been reporting visa overstays to ICE during green card interviews, resulting in their immediate detention. This has occurred in recent weeks in San Diego to a Navy spouse, a breastfeeding mother, and even an elderly man, signaling that enforcement is being taken to an unprecedented level.
Under Trump, internal ICE policies have included numerical targets for deportations, effectively creating quotas for enforcement officers. These targets set specific numbers of removals to be achieved within given timeframes, which places added pressure on USCIS officers to flag these individuals for removal.
Are you applying for an immigrant visa and want to know when your priority date will become current? Then you won’t want to miss our analysis of the December 2025 Visa Bulletin.
In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick explains what you can expect to see in terms of the movement of the family-sponsored and employment-based visa categories in the month of December.
USCIS Adjustment of Status
For adjustment of status filings to permanent residence in the month of December, USCIS will be using the Dates for Filing Chart for the employment-based and family-sponsored categories.
Highlights of the December 2025 Visa Bulletin
At a Glance
What can we expect to see in the month of December?
Employment-Based Categories
Final Action Advancements
EB-1 Aliens of extraordinary ability, Outstanding Professors and Researchers, and Certain Multinational Managers or Executives
India will advance by one month to March 15, 2022
China will advance by one month to January 22, 2023
All other countries remain current
EB-2 Members of the Professions and Aliens of Exceptional Ability
India will advance by six weeks to May 15, 2013
China will advance by two months to June 1, 2021
All other countries will advance by 2 months to February 1, 2024
EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers
India will advance by one month to September 22, 2013
China will advance by one month to April 1, 2021
All other countries will advance by two weeks to April 15, 2023
Are you applying for an immigrant visa and want to know when your priority date will become current? Then you won’t want to miss our analysis of the November 2025 Visa Bulletin.
In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick explains what you can expect to see in terms of the movement of the family-sponsored and employment-based visa categories in the month of November.
USCIS Adjustment of Status
For adjustment of status filings to permanent residence in the month of November, USCIS will be using the Dates for Filing Chart for the employment-based and family-sponsored categories.
Highlights of the November 2025 Visa Bulletin
At a Glance
What can we expect to see in the month of November?
Employment-Based Categories
There are no changes to the Dates for Filing and Final Action charts for the employment-based categories when compared to the October Visa Bulletin.
Family-Sponsored Categories
Final Action Advancements
F2B Worldwide, China, and India will advance by 9 days to December 1, 2016
On September 19th President Trump signed an executive order establishing the Gold Card (EO 14351)—a new visa program allowing foreign nationals who make a $1 million nonrefundable gift to the U.S. Department of Commerce—or $2 million if made by a corporation or other entity on their behalf—to qualify for expedited immigrant visa processing.
These gifts are treated as evidence of “exceptional business ability” or “national benefit” when applying under employment-based immigrant visa categories, such as EB-1 or EB-2 (including national interest waivers). Federal agencies have 90 days to implement the program, including setting up application procedures, fees, and adjustment-of-status mechanisms.
Looking ahead, the Trump administration is reportedly considering the rollout of a “Platinum Card” program. This initiative would allow individuals to contribute $5 million in exchange for the ability to live in the United States for up to 270 days per year, without being taxed on their foreign income. However, no official details have been released at this time.
Is the Gold Card Set to Replace the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program?
The big question many are asking is whether the Gold Card will ultimately replace the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program.
According to the latest announcement, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program will continue operating separately from the Gold Card.
Recent changes to the green card application process have added new hurdles that could make interview approvals more difficult. In this blog, we’ll break down what these changes are and how they could affect your chances of success.
What’s changed?
USCIS officers now have expanded authority
Immigration officers have been granted law enforcement powers as federal agents
Increased ability to investigate immigration cases for fraud, misrepresentation, and other violations
Authority to refer cases for criminal prosecution
Power to arrest and detain applicants during green card interviews for violations
USCIS Shifts from Administrative to Law Enforcement Agency
For decades, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has primarily served as an administrative agency. Its core function has been to process immigration benefits such as green cards, work permits, naturalization, and other legal status applications. USCIS operated separately from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which is tasked with enforcing immigration laws, including detaining and removing individuals who are in violation. This separation reflected a clear distinction between those applying for lawful immigration benefits and those facing enforcement actions.
However, in recent months, USCIS policies have started to shift in a direction that aligns more closely with immigration enforcement. Officers within the agency are being granted expanded authority, including certain law enforcement powers. For example, USCIS officers now have increased discretion to investigate cases for fraud, misrepresentation, or other immigration violations — and in some cases, they may refer cases for prosecution or even detain applicants during in-person interviews for immigration violations.
Immigration Lawyer Blog
