On August 28, 2017, USCIS announced that it will be phasing in interviews for employment-based applicants for adjustment of status to permanent residence. The phase-in will begin October 1, and requires employees in temporary nonimmigrant status who have filed an I-485 application to adjust status to permanent residence to appear at a local USCIS office for an in-person interview before final approval of permanent residence. Of note, this was standard procedure in the distant past, but has been generally waived in employment-based cases for many years. USCIS announced that it is re-instituting these interviews to combat fraud and enhance the integrity of the country's immigration systems.

The additional requirement for in-person interviews will undoubtedly lengthen processing times for employment-based permanent residence applications.