US imposes new rule requiring green‑card applicants to file from abroad
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that anyone seeking a green card must submit the application from their home country, unless an extraordinary circumstance applies. The rule replaces the prior practice that allowed non‑immigrants—students, temporary workers, tourists and others—to file while physically present in the United States.
The change is intended to free USCIS resources for other priorities such as violent‑crime and human‑trafficking victim visas, naturalization and other cases. The agency noted that more than half of all green cards are granted each year under the former system, and that roughly 1.4 million people obtained lawful permanent residence in fiscal 2024. Critics, including Democratic lawmakers and immigrant‑rights groups, warn that the policy will force applicants to leave the country, separate families and disrupt jobs, and they predict legal challenges.
The measure is part of a broader tightening of immigration policy pursued by the Trump administration since taking office in 2021.