A recent policy shift requires numerous immigrants to potentially travel back to their home countries before applying for green cards, causing unease among immigrants, their advocates, and legal representatives. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency has clarified that only in ‘extraordinary circumstances’ will individuals already residing in the U.S. be considered for permanent residence. Typically, applicants will need to apply at an American consulate in their country of origin.
Immigration lawyers and advocacy groups have expressed concerns over the weekend, suggesting the updated rule could lead to a decrease in green card applications. In 2024, a total of 1.4 million green cards were issued, with over 800,000 of these recipients already in the U.S. and having adjusted their immigration status locally.
This new policy is particularly troubling for those married to U.S. citizens and looking for permanent residency, explained Charles Kuck, an immigration attorney and former president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Such individuals usually need to clear their immigration status before applying for a green card, a process traditionally done while remaining in the U.S.
This is simply an attempt to slow immigration, said Charles Kuck, and make immigration so unpleasant that you go home.
Zach Kahler, a spokesperson for the agency, commented that the measure aims to eliminate a loophole where immigrants might stay in the country illegally if denied residency.