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The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced a new policy requiring most foreign nationals seeking permanent residency in the United States to complete their green card applications from their countries of origin.
The directive, unveiled on Friday, signals a tightening of immigration rules under the administration of Donald Trump and is expected to affect temporary visa holders already residing in the United States, including students, tourists and foreign workers.
Under the new arrangement, individuals on temporary visas will generally no longer be allowed to adjust their status to permanent residency while remaining in the country, except in what authorities described as “extraordinary circumstances.”
Instead, applicants are required to process their green card applications through U.S. embassies or consulates in their home countries.
Explaining the decision, the agency said the move was aimed at restoring the original framework of U.S. immigration laws.
“We’re returning to the original intent of the law to ensure aliens navigate our nation’s immigration system properly,” the agency stated.
“From now on, an alien who is in the U.S. temporarily and wants a Green Card must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances.”
According to the agency, the new rule is designed to curb abuse of the immigration system and reduce the number of individuals who remain in the country unlawfully after unsuccessful residency applications.
A spokesperson for USCIS, Zach Kahler, said the previous system created loopholes that complicated enforcement.
“This policy allows our immigration system to function as the law intended instead of incentivising loopholes,” he said.
“When aliens apply from their home country, it reduces the need to find and remove those who decide to remain in the U.S. illegally after being denied residency.”
USCIS further stressed that temporary entry into the United States was never meant to serve as a pathway to permanent residency or citizenship.
“Nonimmigrants, like students, temporary workers or tourists, come to the U.S. for a short time and for a specific purpose,” the statement added.
“Our system is designed for them to leave when their visit is over. Their visit should not function as the first step in the Green Card process.”
Officials also noted that routing applications through overseas consular offices would free up resources for other immigration services, including naturalisation processes and support for victims of trafficking and violent crimes.
The Department of Homeland Security echoed the policy shift, describing it as a move to strengthen immigration enforcement and close existing loopholes.
The new directive is expected to have significant implications for Nigerians and other foreign nationals who enter the U.S. on temporary visas and later seek permanent residency.
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