The United States government has announced a new immigration policy that requires most foreign nationals seeking permanent residency to complete their green card applications from their countries of origin instead of doing so while staying in the US.
The policy was issued on Friday by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) as part of what it described as a broader effort to tighten immigration controls under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Under the new directive, foreigners currently in the United States on temporary visas, including students, tourists, and foreign workers, will generally no longer be allowed to adjust their status to permanent residency from within the country.
Authorities said such applicants will now be required to return to their home countries and process their applications through US embassies or consulates, except in rare or “extraordinary circumstances”.
USCIS explained that the change is aimed at restoring what it called the original intent of US immigration law.
The agency stated that the previous system allowed for loopholes that were often exploited, making enforcement more difficult and increasing the number of individuals who remain in the US illegally after unsuccessful applications.
A spokesperson for USCIS, Zach Kahler, said the reform is intended to make the immigration process more straightforward and enforceable.
He noted that processing applications from home countries would reduce cases of individuals remaining in the US after being denied residency, describing the previous arrangement as one that encouraged “loopholes” in the system.
