US tightens green card process, requires applicants to apply from abroad

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced Friday that foreigners seeking to adjust their immigration status to obtain permanent residency, or green cards, will generally be required to apply from outside the US through the State Department.

In a statement, USCIS said immigration officers should grant adjustment of status requests only in “extraordinary circumstances” and must evaluate cases individually based on relevant factors and information.

“We’re returning to the original intent of the law to ensure aliens navigate our nation’s immigration system properly,” USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler said in a statement.

“From now on, an alien who is in the U.S. temporarily and wants a Green Card must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances,” he added.

The new guidance applies to nonimmigrants such as international students, temporary workers, and tourists, whom USCIS said are admitted to the US “for a short time and for a specific purpose.”

“Their visit should not function as the first step in the Green Card process,” Kahler said.

Immigrant rights advocates criticized the policy, warning that it could separate families, create new barriers for applicants, and expose some individuals to long waits or dangers in their countries of origin.