Want a US Green Card? You Must Go Home First Under New Immigration Rules

The United States government has overhauled one of the most commonly used pathways to permanent residency, sending shockwaves through immigrant communities across the country. Under a sweeping new policy issued by US Citizenship and Immigration Services, most foreign nationals on temporary visas including students, tourists, and work permit holders can no longer apply for a Green Card from within the United States. Instead, they must return to their home country and go through a process known as consular processing via the US Department of State.

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Previously, millions of people already living legally in America used a process called Adjustment of Status to transition from a temporary visa to permanent residency without ever having to leave. That pathway has now been dramatically narrowed. USCIS has reclassified Adjustment of Status as an extraordinary form of relief, meaning it will only be approved in limited and exceptional circumstances determined on a case-by-case basis.

USCIS spokesperson Zach Kahler defended the change, saying it restores the original intent of American immigration law. He argued that temporary visa holders were always expected to return home once their authorised stay ended, and that this new policy simply enforces what the law has always required.

Officials also said the change will allow USCIS to redirect its limited resources toward humanitarian cases, including visa applications for victims of violent crime and human trafficking, as well as naturalisation applications. However, immigration advocates have raised concerns that the policy could separate families, disrupt careers, and leave thousands of law-abiding visa holders in a deeply uncertain position with little warning or transition time.

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