US Tells Green Card Seekers to Apply from Abroad

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump announced a new immigration policy on Friday requiring foreigners living temporarily in the United States to leave the country and apply for permanent residency, or a green card, from their home countries, according to Deutsche Welle (DW).

The move marks the latest in a series of immigration restrictions introduced by the Trump administration to tighten entry and residency rules for people from dozens of countries.

In a statement quoted by DW, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) spokesman Zach Kahler said temporary visa holders seeking permanent residency would generally no longer be allowed to complete the process while remaining in the United States.

“From now on, an alien who is in the US temporarily and wants a green card must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances,” Kahler said.

“Nonimmigrants, like students, temporary workers, or people on tourist visas, come to the US for a short time and for a specific purpose,” Kahler said, adding, “Our system is designed for them to leave when their visit is over.”

“Their visit should not function as the first step in the green card process.”

Kahler said having green card seekers apply from their home nation “reduces the need to find and remove those who decide to slip into the shadows and remain in the US illegally after being denied residency.”

The announcement has sparked confusion among immigration lawyers and advocacy groups, particularly because USCIS has not clarified how the policy will be implemented.

Questions remain over when the new rule will take effect, whether applicants would need to remain outside the United States throughout the entire process, and how the policy would apply to foreigners whose green card applications are already underway.

According to The Washington Post, the United States issues more than one million green cards annually, and more than half of recipients have traditionally applied while already residing in the country.

USCIS described the policy as a return to “the original intent of the law” and an effort to close a “loophole.”

However, immigration lawyers argued that changing immigration status from within the United States has long been a common legal practice. Critics also warned that requiring applicants to return to their home countries could place some individuals at risk, particularly those from conflict zones or countries without U.S. embassies.

Read: WHO Reports Hantavirus Cases Rise to 12, Deaths Hold at 3

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