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The United States (US) has tightened its Green Card application rules, requiring most foreigners seeking a Green Card, which grants permanent US residency, to apply from their home countries.
“From now on, an alien who is in the US temporarily and wants a Green Card must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances,” US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) spokesman Zach Kahler said in a statement.
“Nonimmigrants, like students, temporary workers, or people on tourist visas, come to the US for a short time and for a specific purpose,” Kahler said.
“Our system is designed for them to leave when their visit is over. Their visit should not function as the first step in the Green Card process.”
Credit: Reuters
The United States grants more than 1 million Green Cards annually, and, up until now, more than half of applicants have already been in the United States, according to The Washington Post.
The Immigration Services spokesperson said having Green Card seekers apply from their home nation “reduces the need to find and remove those who decide to slip into the shadows and remain in the US illegally after being denied residency.”
Kahler said Green Card applications would be handled by the State Department at US consular offices abroad.
US President Donald Trump campaigned for the White House on a pledge to expel millions of undocumented migrants, and his administration has also closed several legal pathways to US residency since he was inaugurated.
