Under the new rules, foreign nationals in the U.S. on temporary visas (including students, tourists, and work program employees) will no longer be able to routinely change status within the country to obtain permanent residency. They will now have to return to their country of origin and apply through U.S. consulates abroad.
“Their stay in the United States should not become the first step to obtaining a green card,” USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler said. He said exceptions would only be possible in cases of “extraordinary circumstances.”
As The Washington Post notes, the U.S. issues more than 1 million green cards each year, and so far more than half of the applicants have applied for the documents while already in the country.
The Trump administration explains the tightening of rules by the need to strengthen control over migration. According to the USCIS, the new measure should reduce the number of cases when foreigners remain in the United States illegally after being denied a green card.
The fight against illegal migration remains one of the key areas of Donald Trump’s policy. The US President has repeatedly stated his intention to limit both illegal and legal immigration, and has also promised to deport millions of undocumented migrants in the country.
The White House’s migration policy has already drawn sharp criticism from human rights activists and Democrats, especially against the backdrop of large-scale deportation raids and tightened border controls.
