US green card applicants will now have to return to home countries to apply, DHS says
The Guardian • • general
Key Points:
- The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that foreigners seeking green cards must now adjust their immigration status from outside the US, ending the option to apply while already in the country.
- This policy change, the first significant alteration in over 60 years, requires many applicants to leave the US during processing, disrupting jobs, homes, and families, especially mixed-status households.
- Aid groups and immigration attorneys criticized the move, highlighting risks for vulnerable populations such as trafficking survivors and abused children who may be forced to return to dangerous countries.
- The policy is part of a broader series of immigration restrictions under the Trump administration, including visa duration cuts and mass visa revocations affecting various immigrant groups.
- The impact on currently pending green card applications remains unclear, while USCIS continues to face a backlog of visa and green card cases.