Trump administration says visa holders seeking green cards must apply in home countries, in major change
NBC News • • nation
Key Points:
- The Trump administration announced that individuals on temporary visas seeking green cards must now return to their home countries to apply through consular processing, except in extraordinary circumstances, marking a significant shift from previous practice.
- USCIS stated this change aims to reduce illegal overstays by ensuring temporary visitors leave the U.S. after their permitted stay and to allow the agency to focus resources on other priorities like victims of crime and naturalization.
- Critics argue the policy is exclusionary and harmful, with former USCIS official Doug Rand highlighting that forcing applicants abroad is effectively a barrier, especially given travel bans on over 100 countries.
- Humanitarian groups like World Relief condemned the policy as cruel and anti-family, warning it will separate families by preventing lawful permanent residents from adjusting status within the U.S.
- The policy is part of broader Trump administration efforts to restrict legal immigration and has sparked calls for reversal through administrative, legislative, or judicial means.