USCIS announced the move in a policy memo, which directed officers to consider relevant factors and information on a case-by-case basis when determining whether extraordinary relief is warranted.
"An alien who is in the U.S. temporarily and wants a Green Card must return to their home country to apply," said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which has oversight of USCIS.
"This policy allows our immigration system to function as the law intended instead of incentivizing loopholes."
The USCIS said the new policy will free up agency resources to focus on processing other cases.
Information packs are distributed by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services following a citizenship ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., July 18, 2018. Photo by Reuters
