US orders foreigners seeking green cards to apply for them from home countries – THIS UPDATE

By Ayo Kehinde

Foreigners seeking permanent residency in the United States will now be required to return to their home countries to process green card applications, following a new immigration policy announced Friday by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

USCIS made the decision public in a policy memo directing immigration officials to evaluate requests for extraordinary relief on a case-by-case basis when evaluating whether applicants may be exempt from the new requirement.

Under the revised policy, foreigners who temporarily reside in the United States and wish to obtain lawful permanent residency will now be required to complete the application process through the U.S. Department of State from outside the country.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees USCIS, defended the move, saying it was designed to return the immigration system to what it described as the intended legal framework.

“An alien who is temporarily in the United States and wants a green card must return to his or her home country to apply for one. This policy allows our immigration system to function as intended by law instead of incentivizing loopholes,” the DHS said in a statement.

He also said the new policy would free up agency resources and improve the handling of other immigration-related cases.

The decision, however, drew criticism from immigrant rights groups and humanitarian organizations, who warned that the measure could expose vulnerable migrants to danger by forcing them to return to unsafe environments.

Among the groups opposing the policy is HIAS, a refugee aid organization that provides services to asylum seekers, trafficking survivors and other migrants.

HIAS said the policy could force survivors of human trafficking, abused and neglected children, and other vulnerable immigrants to return to countries they previously fled to complete their green card applications.

According to the organization, the move could expose many applicants to new risks, especially those fleeing violence, persecution or political instability.

Friday’s announcement is the latest in a series of immigration restrictions introduced by the Trump administration since the president returned to office.

Last year, the administration decided to reduce the length of visas issued to foreign students, cultural exchange visitors and members of the media.

Earlier this year, the State Department announced that more than 100,000 visas had been revoked since Trump took office again as part of a broader immigration enforcement drive.

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