The Trump administration just announced that prospective immigrants will now be required to return to their home countries to apply for Green Cards. This significant policy shift by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) threatens to upend the most common pathway for legal immigration in the United States. The previous process allowed immigrants already living and working in the country to apply for an adjustment of status.
Per The Hill, this policy will upend many families who have built their lives here over several years. USCIS spokesperson Zach Kahler stated this new policy memo is about “returning to the original intent of the law, to ensure aliens navigate our nation’s immigration system properly. 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.”
