USCIS announced a new policy memorandum emphasizing that foreign nationals seeking lawful permanent residence through adjustment of status should generally complete the process through consular processing outside the United States, consistent with long-standing immigration law and prior immigration court decisions. Under the policy, officers are instructed to evaluate requests on a case-by-case basis and only grant adjustment of status in extraordinary circumstances. USCIS stated that the change is intended to restore what it describes as the original intent of immigration law and discourage individuals from using temporary visas as a pathway to remain permanently in the United States. According to USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler, the policy is designed to ensure that nonimmigrants—such as students, temporary workers, and tourists—return to their home countries to apply for immigrant visas through the Department of State rather than pursuing permanent residency from within the United States. USCIS also stated that shifting more cases to consular processing abroad would allow the agency to better allocate resources toward other priorities, including naturalization applications, humanitarian visa programs, and cases involving victims of violent crime and human trafficking.