US Green card applications only from home country

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued a new policy memo tightening rules for foreign nationals on temporary visas seeking permanent residency in the United States. Under the revised policy, individuals seeking a Green Card while staying in the US on non-immigrant visas such as student, tourist or temporary work visas will be required to return to their home country and complete the immigration process through US consulates abroad. According to the USCIS statement, adjustment of status within the United States will now be treated as an “extraordinary form of relief” and granted only in limited cases. The agency said the policy aligns with long-standing immigration law and court decisions that expect non-immigrant visa holders to pursue immigrant visa processing through consular channels managed by the United States Department of State. The USCIS stated that officers would assess requests on a case-by-case basis while considering all relevant circumstances before allowing adjustment of status from within the country.

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

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

The era of abusing our nation’s immigration system is over. https://t.co/ofyEYGPDLC

— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) May 22, 2026

USCIS spokesperson Zach Kahler said the move restores the “original intent of the law” and reinforces the expectation that temporary visa holders should leave the US once their authorised stay ends. He said individuals seeking permanent residency should ordinarily apply from their home country unless exceptional circumstances justify otherwise. According to Kahler, the revised process is intended to reduce misuse of the immigration system and discourage individuals from remaining in the country illegally after being denied residency.
A Green Card is an official identification card that gives foreign nationals permanent residency rights in the US. A Green Card holder can live anywhere in the US, work for most employers, study in the US, travel in and out of the country (subject to rules) and eventually apply for US citizenship if eligible.The move could significantly impact international students, H-1B workers and tourists currently residing in the US who had hoped to transition to permanent residency without leaving the country. “We’re returning to the original intent of the law to ensure aliens navigate our nation’s immigration system properly,” Kahler said.