Trump administration orders Green Card applicants to return home to apply

The US administration has introduced a major change in its immigration policy under which most people seeking permanent residency, or a Green Card, will now have to apply from outside the United States.

The change was announced by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on Friday, according to the BBC.

Under the previous system, people on temporary stays in the US were allowed to apply for Green Cards while remaining in the country.

The new rule allows this only in “extraordinary circumstances”, with most applicants now required to return to their home countries and apply through US embassies or consulates.

Non-immigrant visa holders, including students, tourists and temporary workers, will no longer be able to use their stay in the US as the starting point for Green Card applications, except in special cases.

“This policy allows our immigration system to function as the law intended instead of incentivising loopholes,” the USCIS said in a statement.

It added that processing applications from abroad would reduce the likelihood of rejected applicants remaining in the US illegally.

“Following the law allows the majority of these cases to be handled by the US Department of State at US consular offices abroad, as was designed to be the intended process,” the statement said.

It also said the move would help free up resources for other priorities, including visas for victims of violent crime and human trafficking, naturalisation applications and other cases.

“These changes will help make our system fairer and more efficient,” the agency said.

Previously, many applicants were able to remain in the US with family members, often US citizens or Green Card holders, while their applications were being processed, which could take several years.

Under the new policy, that arrangement will no longer apply in most cases.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a post on X, “Our country’s immigration process is over for those who try to game the system.”

However, critics say the new rules will make it harder to obtain Green Cards and could reduce legal immigration.

More than one million people are currently waiting for Green Card decisions in the US, the British broadcaster says.

It is not immediately clear whether their applications will also fall under the new rules or require additional steps.

USCIS officials said applicants deemed beneficial to the US economy or national interest may still be allowed to apply from within the country, while others must follow the new overseas application process.