Foreign nationals in the United States seeking green cards will now be required to leave the country and apply from abroad under a Trump administration policy announced on Friday, 22 May 2026 by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), according to BBC and Associated Press reporting. The change applies to temporary visa holders, including students, workers and family-based applicants, and has triggered confusion among immigration lawyers, aid groups and affected immigrants.
The announcement marks a shift in how permanent residency applications are handled, revising a process that for decades allowed eligible applicants already living legally in the United States to complete green card procedures from within the country.
