U.S. Changes Green Card Rules, Applicants Must Apply from Their Home Countries
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The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has introduced major changes to the rules for obtaining a Green Card. Under the new policy, most prospective immigrants will now be required to leave the United States and apply for permanent residency from their respective home countries through a U.S. embassy or consulate.
On Friday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that, except in rare and exceptional circumstances, Green Card applications must now be processed through consular processing outside the United States.
Officials from the Trump administration said the decision is part of broader efforts to curb illegal immigration.
As a result, the long-standing legal option that allowed individuals to enter the United States on a visa or as visitors and then apply for a Green Card while remaining in the country has effectively been closed.
According to USCIS policy guidelines, individuals staying in the U.S. on student, temporary work, or tourist visas will now have to complete the Green Card process through the U.S. State Department from outside the country.
USCIS said the change will make enforcement easier. “When foreign nationals apply from their home countries, there will be no need to locate them after a denial, and they will not be able to remain in the United States unlawfully,” the agency said.
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees USCIS, wrote on social media platform X that “the era of abuse of our immigration system is over.”
USCIS spokesperson Jack Kahlor said the policy restores the original intent of immigration law. “We are ensuring that foreign nationals follow the law as intended. From now on, except in special circumstances, anyone temporarily in the United States who seeks a Green Card must return to their home country to apply,” he said.
“A temporary visit or short-term stay was never meant to be the first step toward obtaining a Green Card,” Kahlor added.
According to data cited by the Cato Institute’s immigration director, more than one million legal immigrants are currently in the United States awaiting approval of their Green Card applications.
It remains unclear how the new policy will affect applicants whose cases are already in progress. However, a USCIS spokesperson said that applicants whose cases are deemed beneficial to the U.S. economy may still be allowed to proceed under the existing rules during the implementation period.
Source: BBC
