The Trump administration has ended the process that allowed foreign nationals in the United States on temporary visas to apply for green cards without leaving the country.
A new policy memo issued by US Citizenship and Immigration Services on May 22, 2026, directs most applicants to return to their home countries to complete the process through US embassies and consulates abroad. The change affects the long-standing “Adjustment of Status” pathway that has allowed eligible visa holders to remain in the US while their permanent residency applications were processed.
“From now on, an alien who is in the US temporarily and wants a Green Card must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances,” USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler said.
The directive reclassifies domestic Adjustment of Status as an “extraordinary form of relief” and a matter of administrative grace. Officers are now required to weigh factors such as long-term tax history and community ties against negative factors like brief status gaps or unauthorized employment.
The Department of Homeland Security said the policy aligns immigration procedures with the original intent of federal law and helps reduce administrative backlogs. It stated that the shift would allow agencies to focus more resources on citizenship applications and humanitarian cases.
The announcement has drawn concern from immigration attorneys and advocacy groups. Critics argue the policy could disrupt employment for skilled foreign workers in sectors such as technology, healthcare, and research, many of whom are in the US on temporary work visas.
The administration framed the move as closing a “loophole” in the system. The Department of Homeland Security posted on X that “the era of abusing our nation’s immigration system is over.”
