The Trump administration’s new policy that requires most immigrants seeking green cards to leave the US and apply from abroad is creating uncertainty for hundreds of thousands of people whose family- and employment-based permanent residency applications are already pending with the authorities.Some 540,000 family-based and around 170,000 employment-based green card applications are currently pending with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), show data from the agency. A May 22 memo announcing the policy did not specify whether it would apply only to new applications or also have retrospective effect.While it is unclear how many Indians are in the current backlog, they are among the largest applicant groups for the green cards. A 2022 report from the US think tank Cato Institute estimated Indians’ green card backlog to be 719,737 the previous year, stating that it would take 90 years to process.Applying anew from another country would create major hardships for many, especially those with families in the US and those navigating a tough, AI-disrupted, job market. It would also mean further delays in processing their applications.In a statement to media platform Semafor, a USCIS spokesperson said those providing economic benefits or applications in national interest would be able to continue the current path, while others would be asked to file abroad. But the official did not clarify further.ETtech