US Policy Change Requires Green Card Applicants to Apply from Abroad

Foreign nationals seeking to adjust their immigration status in the United States to obtain green cards will now be required to apply from outside the country through the U.S. Department of State, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The policy was announced on Friday through an official memo, which states that immigration officers must evaluate applications on a case-by-case basis when considering any form of extraordinary relief.

Under the new rule, individuals in the United States on temporary status who wish to obtain permanent residency will generally need to return to their home country to complete the application process.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said the change is intended to ensure that the immigration system operates as intended under the law and to reduce what it described as procedural loopholes.

Officials also stated that the policy will allow the agency to focus its resources more efficiently on other pending immigration cases.

However, the decision has drawn criticism from humanitarian organizations. HIAS, a refugee support group, warned that the policy could force survivors of trafficking and vulnerable children to return to potentially unsafe countries in order to complete their green card applications.

The policy shift is part of a broader set of immigration restrictions introduced under Donald Trump over the past year.

These include reductions in visa durations for students, cultural exchange visitors, and media personnel, as well as the revocation of more than 100,000 visas since he took office, according to official statements.