The Trump administration unveiled a sweeping overhaul of U.S. immigration policy that would force most foreigners seeking permanent residence, or green cards, to apply from outside the United States.
Immigrants who are already in the U.S. on temporary visas or humanitarian parole must in most cases return to their home countries and complete their green card applications at American consulates abroad, under a new policy memo issued Friday by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
The decision is a major shift from longstanding immigration practice, which permitted many eligible candidates to adjust their status to permanent residency while remaining in the United States. USCIS claimed the decision is a return to the “original intent” of federal immigration law and exceptions will be made only in “extraordinary circumstances.”
Immigration lawyers and advocacy groups warned the order may affect hundreds of thousands of applicants a year, including skilled professionals, spouses of U.S. citizens and humanitarian migrants already living legally in America. Critics say the shift might lead to long family separations, work disruptions and legal ambiguity for many immigrants.
The strategy is also expected to increase strain on U.S. embassies and consulates abroad where visa appointment backlogs are already an issue in some nations. Some experts worry that applicants who leave the U.S. could encounter delays, visa denials or difficulty re-entering the country.
The policy has been attacked by human rights groups who fear it might put vulnerable migrants, including trafficking survivors and abused children, at risk of returning to unsafe conditions while they are processed.
The statement comes as the latest in a slew of immigration crackdowns rolled out under Trump’s current administration including extended travel restrictions and stronger visa verification processes that aim to curb both illegal and legal immigration into the United States.
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