Chicago – May 23, 2026
The United States has directed most foreigners seeking green cards to leave the country and apply from their home nations, in a major policy shift announced this week by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Under the new guidance, temporary visa holders such as students, tourists, and certain workers who wish to adjust status must now generally pursue consular processing through U.S. embassies or consulates abroad, rather than applying while inside the United States.
USCIS said the change is intended to remove what officials describe as a “loophole” that allowed some nonimmigrants to remain in the U.S. while green card applications were pending. The agency added that exceptions may still be granted in “extraordinary circumstances,” including cases providing an economic benefit or deemed to be in the national interest, though those criteria remain broadly defined.
Immigration advocates warn the move could deepen family separations and place vulnerable migrants at greater risk, particularly those who might struggle to return to difficult conditions in their home countries.
