India, June 27 -- The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a sweeping policy memo on May 21 that could make it significantly harder for hundreds of thousands of skilled workers.

The memo, PM-602-0199, gives USCIS officers revised guidance that could potentially affect millions of pending adjustment of status (AOS) applications. AOS is the process by which a foreign national already in the US applies for permanent residence from inside the country, skipping the consular interview abroad.

USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler told reporters the day after the memo was issued that "an alien who is in the US temporarily and wants a green card must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances."

AOS is ...