The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said that foreigners temporarily in the country who want to obtain a green card must return to their home country and apply from there. This is stated in the official statement of the department dated May 22.
We are talking about the adjustment of status procedure – changing immigration status without leaving the United States. Previously, it could be used by people who were already in the country on a student, work or tourist visa and wanted to obtain a permanent residence permit.
According to the new USCIS policy, this opportunity will only be provided “in extraordinary circumstances.” From now on, applicants must return to their home country and undergo processing through the US consulate with the participation of the State Department.
The immigration service explained this by saying that temporary visas are intended for short-term stays in the United States for the specific purpose of study, work or tourism, noting that such a visit “should not be the first step” to obtaining a green card. The new policy should close loopholes in the immigration system and reduce the number of cases where people remain in the United States illegally after being denied residency, the department noted.
