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Trump administration tightens Green Card process, limits in-country applications

By The South Asia Times

WASHINGTON - The administration of US President Donald Trump has announced a major shift in immigration policy that will sharply limit the ability of temporary visa holders to apply for permanent residency from within the United States.

In a policy memo released Thursday, US Citizenship and Immigration Services said “adjustment of status” applications, the process allowing eligible immigrants already in the US to obtain Green Cards without leaving the country, will only be granted in “extraordinary circumstances.”

The agency said applicants seeking permanent residency should instead return to their home countries and complete the process through US consulates operated by the United States Department of State.

“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 the 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 policy affects nonimmigrants such as international students, temporary workers and tourists who traditionally could seek permanent residency while remaining in the United States if eligible through employment, family sponsorship or other immigration pathways.

Kahler said the administration believes the current system had created “loopholes” that encouraged some applicants to remain in the country illegally after being denied residency.

He argued that processing applications abroad would allow USCIS to focus resources on other priorities, including naturalization applications and visas for victims of violent crime and human trafficking.

Immigration advocates are expected to challenge the move, warning it could disrupt the lives of thousands of applicants already living and working legally in the United States while increasing uncertainty for employers and families.

Trump administration tightens Green Card process, limits in-country applications

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