U.S. Green Card seekers must now apply from home countries

The Trump administration announced on Friday (May 22, 2026) that most foreigners seeking a Green Card granting permanent U.S. residency must apply from their home countries.

“From now on, an alien who is in the U.S. temporarily and wants a Green Card must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances,” U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) spokesman Zach Kahler said in a statement.

“Nonimmigrants, like students, temporary workers, or people on tourist visas, come to the U.S. for a short time and for a specific purpose,” Mr. Kahler said.

“Our system is designed for them to leave when their visit is over,” he said. “Their visit should not function as the first step in the Green Card process.”

According to The Washington Post, the United States grants more than one million Green Cards each year and, up until now, more than half of the applicants are already in the United States.

Mr. Kahler said having Green Card seekers apply from their home nation “reduces the need to find and remove those who decide to slip into the shadows and remain in the U.S. illegally after being denied residency.”

He said Green Card applications would be handled by the State Department at U.S. consular offices abroad.

President Donald Trump campaigned for the White House on a pledge to expel millions of undocumented migrants and his administration has also closed several legal pathways to U.S. residency since he took office.