The Trump administration has announced that most foreigners seeking green cards must now leave the United States and apply from their home countries.
The Trump administration has announced that most foreigners seeking green cards must leave the United States and apply from their home countries under a major immigration policy change.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services said green cards would only be granted inside the country in “extraordinary circumstances.”
Agency spokesman Zach Kahler said, “This policy allows our immigration system to function as the law intended instead of incentivizing loopholes.”
The move is expected to affect hundreds of thousands of people, including students, foreign workers and spouses of US citizens seeking permanent residency.
Immigration lawyers warned the change could separate families for months or even years as applications are processed abroad.
Sarah Pierce, a former immigration policy analyst, said, “Our consular processing system… is already overburdened.”
More than 820,000 green cards were approved for people already inside the US in 2024 through adjustment-of-status procedures, according to Homeland Security data.
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