As part of President Donald Trump's broader hardline immigration agenda aimed at tightening pathways and increasing scrutiny of visa and residency processes, the US administration has unveiled a major policy shift that could require many migrants seeking permanent residency to leave the country and apply for Green Cards from their home nations instead of completing the process within the United States.
According to new guidlines issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), officials will now interpret Section 245(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act more strictly, treating the transition from temporary visa status to lawful permanent residency as a process that should generally take place outside the US.
The development was highlighted by the United States Department of Homeland Security in a post on X, which stated: “An alien who is in the US temporarily and wants a Green Card must return to their home country to apply. This policy allows our immigration system to function as the law intended instead of incentivizing loopholes. The era of abusing our nation's immigration system is over.”
Under the revised guidance, migrants on temporary visas who later become eligible for permanent residency would, in most cases, be required to return to their home country, complete screening and processing procedures abroad, obtain an immigrant visa through the US Department of State, and then re-enter the US as lawful permanent residents.
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The Trump administration has argued that overseas processing is more consistent with the original intent of immigration law and would help prevent misuse of temporary visa pathways.
However, the guidance allows limited exceptions in what it describes as “extraordinary circumstances.” In such cases, USCIS officers may permit applicants to complete adjustment of status from within the United States after evaluating requests individually and considering all relevant factors.
The move aligns with Trump's broader hardline immigration agenda focused on tightening immigration system.
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