- The announcement has triggered widespread confusion among immigration lawyers and applicants, as USCIS has yet to clarify key aspects of the policy, including its implementation timeline, whether applicants must remain abroad during the full processing period, and how the rule will affect applications already in progress.
- According to reports by The Washington Post, more than one million green cards are issued annually in the United States, with over half of applicants traditionally adjusting their status while already living in the country.
The administration of US President Donald Trump has announced a new immigration policy requiring foreigners currently residing in the United States on temporary visas to leave the country and apply for permanent residency from their home nations.
The new rule, announced Friday by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), marks the latest in a series of measures aimed at tightening immigration procedures and limiting pathways to residency for individuals from multiple countries.
USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler said the policy reinforces the original purpose of temporary visas, stressing that nonimmigrants such as students, tourists, and temporary workers are expected to leave the United States once their authorized stay ends.
“From now on, an alien who is in the US temporarily and wants a green card must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances,” Kahler stated.
He added that the immigration system was never intended to allow temporary visits to become the first stage of the green card process, noting that the change would help authorities reduce cases of individuals remaining in the country illegally after being denied residency, dw.com reports.
The announcement has triggered widespread confusion among immigration lawyers and applicants, as USCIS has yet to clarify key aspects of the policy, including its implementation timeline, whether applicants must remain abroad during the full processing period, and how the rule will affect applications already in progress.
According to reports by The Washington Post, more than one million green cards are issued annually in the United States, with over half of applicants traditionally adjusting their status while already living in the country.
Immigration experts warned that the new policy could create major challenges for many applicants, particularly those from countries with limited US diplomatic representation or unstable security conditions. Lawyers also argued that adjusting immigration status from within the United States has long been an established and lawful practice.
USCIS described the move as a return to “the original intent of the law” and said it aims to close what officials referred to as a loophole in the immigration system.
