Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleNew guidance from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services states that ‘aliens seeking adjustment of status’ must do so ‘outside of the country’ (Getty Images)The Trump administration has introduced a new policy through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that mandates immigrants seeking permanent residency to apply from outside the country, even if they are currently in the U.S. temporarily.This guidance significantly impacts individuals, including spouses and family members of U.S. citizens and H-1B visa holders, potentially forcing them to leave the U.S. and apply from their home countries, which could trigger a 10-year re-entry bar for those who overstayed a visa.USCIS, operating under the Department of Homeland Security, is increasingly functioning as a law enforcement arm in the administration's mass deportation efforts, shifting its traditional role of administering immigration benefits.Critics, including immigration experts and advocacy groups, condemn the policy as detrimental, arguing it forces qualified individuals to separate from their families and jobs for years, and contradicts federal immigration law regarding status adjustment.The new policy emerges as USCIS faces a substantial backlog of cases, which has tripled over the last decade, while a separate "gold card" program offering fast-track green cards for a $1 million donation has seen minimal interest and is subject to a federal lawsuit.In fullTrump is forcing green card applicants back to their home countries to wait for permanent residencyThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

United States immigration rules have changed. Foreign nationals wanting green cards must now apply from their home countries. This new policy from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration…

New guidance for green card hopefuls in the United States mandates they must return to their home country before seeking permanent lawful status.

Foreigners seeking to adjust their immigration status in the United States to secure green cards will have to do so from outside the country.

Foreigners seeking to adjust their immigration status in the United States to secure green cards will have to do so from outside the country.

New policy requires immigrants who are in the US temporarily to apply for permanent status ‘outside of the country’

In a typical year, 1 million people apply for green cards and half of those apply from within the U.S. to change their status while they are living here, a former USCIS official…

Persons on visas in the United States who want to adjust their status to obtain a green card, except under certain circumstances, must now return to their home country and apply,…

The Trump administration on Friday announced a sweeping policy designed to make it harder for immigrants already in the U.S. to get permanent residency.

The Trump administration is announcing a new policy that requires foreigners in the U.S. to leave and apply for a green card from their home country.

The change could affect hundreds of thousands of people a year and potentially reduce legal immigration further.

"Our system is designed for them to leave when their visit is over," he said. "Their visit should not function as the first step in the...

The announcement from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is the latest step by the Trump administration making legal immigration more difficult for foreigners already in…

The Trump administration will now require people seeking green cards to leave the United States during the application process — a sweeping change that could upend the lives of…

The Trump administration is announcing a new policy that requires foreigners in the U.S. to leave and apply for a green card from their home country

Change criticized by advocates marks the latest significant move by the Trump administration on immigration policy

It's just the latest step by the Trump administration to make legal immigration to the United States more difficult.

Foreigners in the U.S. who want a green card will need to leave and apply in their home country, the Trump administration announced Friday, in a surprise change to a longstanding…

Applicants already in the US on temporary visas — including students, tourists and temporary workers — will generally be expected to pursue green cards through consular processing…

Foreigners in the U.S. who want a green card will need to leave and apply in their home country, the Trump administration announced Friday, in a surprise change to a…

The Trump administration now requires many green card applicants to leave the U.S. and apply from their home countries.