US tightens green card rules
USCIS issued the directive through a policy memo instructing immigration officers to assess requests for extraordinary relief on a case-by-case basis while considering relevant circumstances and available information
ATT Desk Report
Foreign nationals seeking permanent residency in the United States will now be required to apply for green cards from their home countries instead of adjusting their immigration status from within the US, according to a new policy announced by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on Friday.
USCIS issued the directive through a policy memo instructing immigration officers to assess requests for extraordinary relief on a case-by-case basis while considering relevant circumstances and available information, according to a Reuters report.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees USCIS, said the move was aimed at restoring what it described as the intended functioning of the immigration system.
“An alien who is in the US temporarily and wants a green card must return to their home country to apply,” the department said.
“This policy allows our immigration system to function as the law intended instead of incentivising loopholes.”
USCIS said the policy would help free up agency resources and streamline the processing of other immigration cases.
However, the decision has drawn criticism from refugee and immigrant rights groups, who argue that the policy could place vulnerable people in harm’s way.
Aid organisation HIAS said the new rules would force trafficking survivors, abused individuals and neglected children to return to countries they had fled in order to complete the green card process.
Critics say the measure could open a can of worms for migrants already living in precarious conditions in the United States.
The policy change marks the latest step in a broader crackdown on immigration under US President Donald Trump.
Last year, the Trump administration moved to shorten visa durations for students, cultural exchange visitors and members of the media. In January, the US State Department also announced that it had revoked more than 100,000 visas since Trump returned to office the previous year.
The latest move signals Washington’s continued push to tighten immigration controls as debates over border security and migration remain front and centre in US politics.
