A policy memorandum issued by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on May 21 has upended the lives of an estimated 200,000 Filipinos waiting in line for US permanent residency, by reclassifying domestic adjustment of status — the long-standing process that allows legal visa holders to obtain a green card without leaving the country — as an "extraordinary form of relief" rather than a standard administrative option. Among those affected is Josie dela Cruz, a registered nurse who arrived legally on an H-1B work visa in 2012, has been employed at the same California convalescent hospital for over a decade, and has had a green card petition pending since 2017; she now faces the prospect of returning to the Philippines to undergo consular processing, which could leave her without work, expose her family to renewed scrutiny, and jeopardise the futures of her two US-born children. Immigration lawyers say the memo may face legal challenges on the grounds that USCIS issued a substantive policy change without the required public notice-and-comment process, and are urging affected applicants to document strong ties to the US — including family members, tax records, and employment history — ahead of any interviews.