On Sept. 23, 2026, USCIS issued Policy Alert PA-2026-14, adding a new Part D to Volume 8 of the Policy Manual. It covers three inadmissibility grounds under INA § 212(a)(2): controlled substance traffickers (Chapter 10), significant traffickers in persons (Chapter 14), and money laundering (Chapter 15). The guidance is effective immediately and applies to pending and new requests.
The alert also lets officers consider, when deciding a discretionary benefit, benefits obtained by a spouse, son, daughter, or former spouse of a person found inadmissible on these grounds.
This is Policy Manual guidance, not a regulation, and it explains how officers apply existing statutory grounds rather than creating new ones. If you have any arrest, charge, or conviction in your history, or a family member who does, raise it with us before you file rather than after.