Trump administration to require most immigrants seeking green cards to leave the U.S. first

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA (WINK) — The Trump administration on Friday announced a major change to how U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services handles Green Card applications.

The agency announced a new policy memo saying that people seeking to adjust their immigration status will now generally need to do so through the U.S. Department of State from outside the country, except in extraordinary circumstances.

"We're returning to the original intent of the law to ensure aliens navigate our nation's immigration system properly," said USCIS Spokesman Zach Kahler.

For many immigrants, going back home could make it difficult or impossible for them to return to the U.S. 

Citizens of 39 countries, most of them in Africa and Asia, currently face outright bans or restrictions from entering the U.S. under a proclamation, known as the "travel ban," signed by President Trump on national security grounds.

A separate Trump administration policy has paused all grants of immigrant visas for people in 75 countries seeking to move to the U.S. permanently, arguing that they could become economic burdens. Additionally, in most cases, people who overstayed their visas and have lived in the U.S. illegally for some time would trigger 10-year bans from reentering the country if they leave.

Under the new policy, people in the U.S. on temporary visas, like students, tourist visa holders or temporary workers, who want a Green Card will need to return to their home country to apply.

Kahler said the change is meant to close what the agency sees as loopholes in the system.

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

"When aliens apply from their home country, it reduces the need to find and remove those who decide to slip into the shadows and remain in the U.S. illegally after being denied residency."

The agency also says the shift will free up its resources to focus on other priorities, including visa applications for victims of violent crime and human trafficking as well as naturalization applications.

"Their visit should not function as the first step in the Green Card process," Kahler said. "Following the law allows the majority of these cases to be handled by the State Department at U.S. consular offices abroad," he added.

For more information, see the policy memo to USCIS immigration officers.