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Trump directs legal migrants to return to home country to apply for green cards

The agency said the change will route most applicants to consular processing and could keep some workers and families apart for months or years.

  • On Friday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that most foreigners seeking green cards must return to their home countries to apply, with exemptions only for "extraordinary circumstances."
  • The Trump administration defended the rule as a return to "the original intent of the law," aiming to close a "loophole" that allowed more than 820,000 people to adjust status inside the country last year.
  • Immigration experts warn the policy creates a "Catch-22" for families, as about 600,000 annual applicants may face indefinite separation while navigating an already overburdened consular processing system, according to Sarah Pierce of Third Way.
  • USCIS spokesperson Zach Kahler stated that individuals providing an "economic benefit" or "national interest" might remain in the U.S., though attorneys like Jessie De Haven expressed confusion about applying these vague exceptions.
  • Legal challenges are widely expected to follow this announcement, which marks the latest effort by the Trump administration to restrict legal immigration pathways in the United States alongside ongoing crackdowns on illegal entry.
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The government of US President Donald Trump makes it difficult to access the permanent residence permit known as the Green Card in the United States.

·Berlin, Germany
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arcamax.com broke the news on Friday, May 22, 2026.
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