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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.

In this video we discuss five emerging trends in 2025 that are likely to affect U.S. green card holders — they reflect changes and risks that are gaining traction.

If you’re a green card holder—or hoping to become one—you need to know that getting arrested for driving under the influence, accumulating speeding tickets, not paying taxes, or even prolonged absences from the United States can have serious consequences for your status.

What to Avoid

To stay off the radar of immigration enforcement—especially under stricter policies—it’s crucial to avoid any legal troubles that could flag your record. This means steering clear of DUIs, repeated traffic violations like speeding tickets, and making sure you’re fully compliant with tax filings. Also, be cautious with international travel. Extended or frequent trips abroad without proper documentation can raise red flags.

Staying law-abiding, keeping your paperwork in order, and consulting an immigration lawyer if issues arise are the best ways to minimize risk and protect your status.

Here’s what you need to know.