US Amends Rules for Green Card Seekers, Orders Them To Return to Their Home Country To Apply
- The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued new rules for non-citizens who want to apply for a green card
- According to the USCIS, non-citizens living in the US must return to their home country to apply for citizenship in the Trump-led nation
- Ghanaians on social media who read the new update thronged the comment section to share their thoughts on the matter
Non-US citizens seeking to change their immigration status in the United States of America to secure a Green Card are now required to do so from their home country via the State Department.
According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), there will be exceptions for people under extraordinary circumstances.
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This was contained in a policy memo issued on Friday, May 21, 2026. The move has been criticised by aid groups.
The policy memo directed officers to consider all relevant factors and information on a case-by-case basis when determining whether extraordinary relief is warranted.
"An alien who is in the U.S. temporarily and wants a Green Card must return to their home country to apply," said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which has oversight of USCIS.
"This policy allows our immigration system to function as the law intended instead of incentivising loopholes."
The USCIS indicated that the new policy will free up agency resources to focus on processing other cases.
Friday's policy change is the latest in a series of steps taken by US President Donald Trump over the last year to tighten migration to the United States.
Last year, the Trump administration moved to shorten the duration of visas for students, cultural exchange visitors and members of the media.
In January, the State Department announced that it had revoked more than 100,000 visas since Trump took office the year before.
Source: YEN.com.gh
