Washington, D.C. — The Trump administration announced Friday that many foreigners living legally in the United States will now be required to leave the country and apply for permanent residency from their home nation instead of completing the process while remaining in the U.S.
The policy shift, announced by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, reverses decades of immigration practice that allowed many visa holders, refugees, asylum seekers, students, workers, and spouses of U.S. citizens to apply for green cards without leaving the country.
USCIS described the move as restoring the “original intent of the law” and closing what officials called a loophole. The agency stated that temporary visa holders are expected to return home after their authorized stay rather than use temporary status as a pathway toward permanent residency.
Immigration attorneys and advocacy organizations quickly criticized the decision, warning it could separate families and create major legal complications for people from countries where visa processing is delayed or unavailable. Some attorneys noted that wait times at U.S. consulates abroad already stretch beyond a year in certain countries.
Former Biden administration USCIS adviser Doug Rand estimated that roughly 600,000 people currently apply for green cards annually while already living inside the United States. Advocacy groups also warned the policy could discourage immigrants from applying due to uncertainty surrounding how the rules will be enforced.
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