USCIS says international nationals should return dwelling to use for Inexperienced Card; Indian H-1B holders, college students face direct hit
4 min learnUp to date: Could 22, 2026 11:54 PM IST
The US Citizenship and Immigration Providers (USCIS) has introduced a brand new coverage memo stating that international nationals staying in america briefly and searching for everlasting residency must return to their dwelling international locations to apply for a Inexperienced Card by way of consular processing.
In a press release issued by USCIS on Friday, the company mentioned the coverage is aimed toward reinforcing what it described because the “unique intent of the regulation” and making certain that immigration guidelines are adopted by way of the established system of abroad visa processing dealt with by the US Division of State.
The transfer impacts non-immigrants akin to worldwide college studentsnon permanent employees and vacationers who’re within the US on short-term visas. Beneath the coverage, people searching for adjustment of standing to turn out to be lawful everlasting residents would ordinarily want to depart the US and full the method at a US consular workplace overseas, until there are what the company referred to as “extraordinary circumstances”.
The USCIS mentioned officers will proceed to look at circumstances individually and contemplate all related data earlier than deciding whether or not an exception is warranted.
Aliens in search of Inexperienced Card should return to dwelling nation
Describing the reasoning behind the choice, USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler mentioned the US immigration framework treats non permanent visas as short-term preparations tied to an outlined function, after which people are anticipated to depart the nation as soon as their permitted keep expires.
Kahler mentioned individuals staying within the US on non permanent visas and searching for everlasting residency would now typically be required to finish the Inexperienced Card software course of from their nation of origin, until distinctive conditions apply.
He additional mentioned the change is meant to align the immigration system extra carefully with current regulation and discourage misuse of procedural gaps.
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In keeping with the USCIS, processing such purposes outdoors america would cut back the burden on the company and permit it to focus assets on different classes, together with naturalisation purposes and visas for victims of violent crimes and human trafficking.
An alien who’s within the U.S. briefly and desires a Inexperienced Card should return to their dwelling nation to use.
This coverage permits our immigration system to operate because the regulation meant as an alternative of incentivizing loopholes.
The period of abusing our nation’s immigration system is over. https://t.co/ofyEYGPDLC
— Homeland Safety (@DHSgov) Could 22, 2026
The Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) additionally reiterated the place in a social media publish, stating that non permanent visa holders wanting a Inexperienced Card “should return to their dwelling nation to use”.
“The period of abusing our nation’s immigration system is over,” the DHS mentioned in its publish.
In keeping with Reuters, HIAS, an assist group that gives companies to refugees, amongst different teams of immigrants, mentioned USCIS was forcing survivors of trafficking and abused and uncared for youngsters to return to the damaging international locations they fled as a way to course of their purposes for inexperienced playing cards granting them everlasting residency within the US.
The coverage change is the most recent in a collection of steps taken by Trump over the previous yr to tighten migration to the US.
Final yr, the Trump administration moved to shorten the length of visas for college kids, cultural alternate guests and members of the media.
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In January, the State Division introduced that it had revoked greater than 100,000 visas since Trump took workplace the yr earlier than.
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