Green Card Applicants Now Required to Leave US During Processing
If you're working or studying in the US on a temporary visa and planning to apply for permanent residency, the rules just changed fundamentally. The Trump administration announced that foreigners seeking green cards must now return to their home countries to complete the application process—reversing decades of policy that allowed people to adjust their immigration status while remaining in the US.
Bottom Line
The US just closed the pathway that allowed temporary visa holders to become permanent residents without leaving the country. This affects anyone on temporary status who was planning to apply for a green card—forcing a choice between maintaining current US-based work or studies, and pursuing permanent residency. The immediate uncertainty centers on whether applications already submitted are affected, and how 'extraordinary circumstances' exceptions will be defined.