WASHINGTON, United States — The administration of Donald Trump announced Friday that most foreigners seeking a Green Card for permanent residency in the United States will now be required to apply from their home countries.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) spokesman Zach Kahler said temporary visa holders already in the US — including students, tourists and temporary workers — would generally no longer be allowed to pursue permanent residency without leaving the country first.
“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 said in a statement.
He added that nonimmigrants enter the United States “for a short time and for a specific purpose,” stressing that their stay “should not function as the first step in the Green Card process.”
According to a report by The Washington Post, the United States grants more than one million Green Cards annually, with more than half of applicants previously applying while already inside the country.
Kahler said the new policy is intended to discourage people from remaining in the US illegally after being denied residency.
He noted that Green Card applications would now primarily be processed through the US State Department at American consular offices overseas.
The move is the latest immigration policy shift under Trump, who campaigned on stricter immigration enforcement and mass deportations of undocumented migrants. Since returning to office, the administration has also moved to limit several legal pathways to US residency.
