On May 21, 2026, USCIS released a policy memorandum emphasizing that Adjustment of Status (AOS) — the process of obtaining a green card from within the United States — is discretionary and not automatically guaranteed.
For many higher education professionals, this may have sounded like a technical immigration update primarily relevant to attorneys and international student offices.
But less than 24 hours later, I was reminded why these conversations extend far beyond immigration compliance.
On May 22, I shared a summary of the memo with a WhatsApp group of international students.
Within minutes, questions began arriving.
- “Does this affect students applying to PhD programs?”
- “What does this mean for National Interest Waiver (NIW) applications?”
- “If I’m married to a U.S. citizen, do I now have to leave the country?”
- “I’m transitioning to OPT and already have my EAD card and a job offer. Is it still safe to travel home?”
What stood out was not the content of the memo itself.
What stood out was how quickly uncertainty spread across multiple aspects of the international student experience.
The conversation was no longer just about immigration.
It immediately became about:
- academic planning,
- career transitions,
- travel decisions,
- emotional wellbeing,
- family relationships,
- long-term life planning,
- and institutional trust.
In practice, students do not experience these topics separately.
They experience them all at once.
And that is precisely why immigration uncertainty quickly becomes a cross-campus priority.
The Growing Interpretation Gap
One of the biggest challenges institutions face today is not access to information.
It is interpretation.
International students are navigating an environment where:
- policies evolve rapidly,
- media coverage varies widely,
- social media amplifies anxiety,
- and different offices may unintentionally communicate different assumptions.
Students often attempt to make sense of uncertainty by pulling information from multiple sources simultaneously.
A single student may seek guidance from:
- an international student advisor,
- a career coach,
- a faculty mentor,
- an immigration attorney,
- social media,
- friends,
- alumni,
- and online communities.
The result is often not clarity.
It is information overload.
Career Services may focus on workforce readiness.
Faculty may focus on academic progression.
International offices may focus on regulatory compliance.
Counseling teams may see the emotional impact.
But students experience all of these concerns simultaneously.
That gap between institutional specialization and student lived experience is where confusion often grows.
Support Is Not Just About Information
What students often need in these moments is not immediate certainty.
They need grounded interpretation and trusted direction.
As questions emerged following the USCIS memo, I found myself trying to balance three things:
- reducing unnecessary panic,
- avoiding legal overinterpretation,
- and helping students understand where they should seek case-specific guidance.
For example, when a student asked whether marriage to a U.S. citizen would now require them to leave the country, the response was not framed as a legal conclusion.
Instead, the focus was on helping the student understand that:
- immigration policies continue to evolve,
- the memo did not automatically eliminate Adjustment of Status pathways,
- and their university international office and qualified immigration attorney remain the best sources of case-specific guidance.
Similarly, when another student asked about traveling internationally while transitioning to OPT, the answer was not a simple “yes” or “no.”
The conversation focused on:
- understanding the student’s circumstances,
- encouraging consultation with their DSO,
- and recognizing that travel decisions are highly individualized.
These interactions reinforced an important reality:
Students often interpret tone as much as information.
The way uncertainty is communicated can significantly influence whether students feel supported or isolated during periods of ambiguity.
Beyond the USCIS Memo
The broader context makes this challenge even more significant.
Across international education, institutions are closely monitoring:
- visa processing delays,
- anticipated changes to student visa policies,
- increased immigration scrutiny,
- and shifting perceptions about studying in the United States.
Recent reporting has raised concerns that uncertainty itself may become a deterrent for future students and families considering U.S. higher education.
Whether every anticipated policy change ultimately materializes is almost beside the point.
Perception matters.
Students and families around the world are paying attention to:
- how welcoming the United States feels,
- how predictable educational and career pathways appear,
- and how institutions communicate during periods of uncertainty.
In many cases, uncertainty is interpreted long before policies are fully understood.
Why Current Student Experience Matters Even More
At a time when many institutions are watching international enrollment trends closely, the experience of current international students may become even more important.
Policy uncertainty does not only influence recruitment.
It can also influence:
- persistence,
- confidence,
- trust,
- student satisfaction,
- and long-term educational outcomes.
Many institutions understand the significant financial contributions international students make to campuses and local economies.
Yet moments like these highlight something deeper.
International student retention is not only about enrollment management.
It is increasingly connected to:
- communication,
- trust,
- coordinated support,
- and whether students feel supported while navigating uncertainty.
As institutions think about future enrollment, perhaps an equally important question is:
How are we supporting the international students who are already here?
A Sign of What Institutions Are Beginning to Recognize
This challenge is one reason institutions are increasingly exploring ways to build shared understanding across campus rather than relying on individual offices to navigate complexity alone.
Earlier this month, Penn State Global launched a 55-participant iCEP cohort bringing together professionals from across multiple functions, including:
- international student support,
- academic programs,
- career services,
- and student affairs.
What stood out during our discussions was not simply a focus on immigration compliance.
Instead, participants repeatedly explored a broader question:
How can institutions create a more consistent and coordinated experience when international students seek guidance from multiple people across campus?
The questions that emerged following the USCIS memo reinforced that same reality.
Students rarely separate their experiences into categories such as immigration, academics, career development, wellbeing, and belonging.
They experience them as one interconnected journey.
As institutions face increasing uncertainty in enrollment, immigration policy, and workforce outcomes, building shared language and shared interpretation across campus may become one of the most important investments institutions can make in international student success.
The Real Opportunity for Institutions
Moments like this reveal an important opportunity.
The goal is not for every advisor or staff member to become an immigration expert.
The goal is to build enough shared understanding across campus so that students receive:
- more consistent messaging,
- more coordinated support,
- and more thoughtful referrals during moments of uncertainty.
In many cases, students are not looking for perfect answers.
They are looking for trusted interpretation.
And increasingly, that interpretation is shaped not only by official policies, but by the relationships and ecosystems surrounding them.
Moving Forward
The challenge for institutions today is no longer simply providing information.
It is helping students interpret uncertainty consistently across the systems they rely on.
As immigration, workforce transition, mental wellbeing, retention, and academic planning become more interconnected, institutions may need to think less about isolated support functions and more about how shared understanding is developed across the student experience itself.
Because in times of uncertainty, students do not experience our institutions one office at a time.
They experience them as one ecosystem.
And that is where alignment begins to matter most.
Author
Kwan Segal is the founder of ICAway and creator of iCEP. She helps universities align their existing capacity to improve international student career outcomes through culturally responsive campus practices.
References & Context
This article was informed by:
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Adjustment of Status is a Matter of Discretion and Administrative Grace, and an Extraordinary Relief that Permits Applicants to Dispense with the Ordinary Consular Visa Process (Policy Memorandum PM-602-0199, May 21, 2026).
The Chronicle of Higher Education, Latitudes newsletter reporting on recent immigration policy developments, student visa processing concerns, and international enrollment trends (May–June 2026).
Masuda Funai Immigration Team, USCIS Emphasizes That Adjustment of Status Processing Is Discretionary, Not Guaranteed, Regardless of Eligibility (May 26, 2026).
Questions and discussion shared by international students in an ICAway community WhatsApp group on May 22, 2026 (used in anonymized form).
Observations from the Penn State Global iCEP cohort (55 participants, Spring–Summer 2026), including discussions involving professionals from international student support, academic programs, career services, and student affairs.
