The US will tighten rules for determining children’s green card eligibility under the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) from August 15, aligning the USCIS with the State Department’s stricter Final Action Dates chart. Immigration lawyers warn families with children close to 21 to act quickly to benefit from the current, more flexible policy.
U.S. immigration authorities will change how they determine children’s eligibility for green cards under the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) starting August 15, 2025. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will align with the State Department by using the stricter Final Action Dates chart to decide when a visa is “available” for CSPA purposes.
The CSPA, passed in 2002, prevents children from “aging out” during immigration delays by freezing their age under certain conditions. Currently, USCIS uses a more lenient Dates for Filing chart, giving some applicants—especially those in the US—a better chance of qualifying.
The new rule standardizes policy but may cause some children nearing 21 to lose eligibility. USCIS says the older, more flexible standard will still apply to adjustment cases pending before February 14, 2023. Immigration lawyers advise families to file applications before August 15 to preserve eligibility under the current rules.