Thousands of H1-B visa holders in US may no longer be automatically required to leave the country while applying for permanent residency, after US immigration authorities issued a clarification on a controversial new policy introduced by the Trump administration.

Authorities say Green Cards from inside US are discretionary, not automatic rights.

The new Green Card rule that applicants can't wait for their Green Card in the US and should go back to their country of origin has sent shockwaves, as 1.2 million legal…