US tells green card seekers to apply from their home countries

WASHINGTON: The United States has said foreigners who are in the country temporarily and want to obtain green cards will now have to leave the US and submit their applications from their home countries through the State Department, according to an announcement by US Citizenship and Immigration Services on Friday.

The agency said the change was set out in a policy memo directing officers to weigh relevant factors and information individually when deciding whether extraordinary relief should be granted in a case.

The US Department of Homeland Security, which oversees USCIS, described the move as a return to the intended functioning of the immigration system.

An alien who is in the US temporarily and wants a Green Card must return to their home country to apply.

DHS added:

This policy allows our immigration system to function as the law intended instead of incentivising loopholes.

USCIS also said the revised policy would allow the agency to devote more resources to handling other cases.

Criticism from aid groups

The decision drew criticism from immigrant and refugee support organisations. HIAS, which provides services to refugees as well as other immigrant groups, said the policy would compel trafficking survivors and abused or neglected children to go back to countries they had fled in order to complete the process for permanent residency in the United States.

The group said those affected could be forced to return to places where they had previously faced danger while seeking to finalise their green card applications.

Part of broader immigration tightening

The latest measure comes amid a broader push by President Donald Trump over the past year to further restrict migration to the United States.

The Trump administration last year moved to reduce the length of visas issued to students, cultural exchange visitors and members of the media.

Earlier this year, in January, the State Department said it had cancelled more than 100,000 visas since Trump took office the previous year.

Friday’s announcement adds to a series of immigration-related steps taken by the administration, with the new rule specifically affecting those seeking to adjust their status to lawful permanent residency while already present in the United States.

The policy memo issued by USCIS said officers should assess requests for extraordinary relief on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the relevant facts and information presented in each matter.