Overview
- The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued the instruction this week directing that most permanent-residence petitions be submitted through consular processing rather than by adjusting status while in the United States.
- USCIS said exceptions will be rare and reserved for extraordinary circumstances, meaning students, temporary workers, tourists and other nonimmigrant visitors will generally have to return home to apply.
- The Washington Post reports that historically more than half of annual Green Cards came from in‑U.S. adjustment of status, which helps explain why the new rule could affect thousands of pending and future applicants.
- Immigrant-rights lawyers warned the step will hit professionals such as doctors, professors, researchers and executives and could disrupt employer hiring, family plans and long-term projects for people from regions including the Middle East, Africa and Europe.
- The move follows December’s introduction of a paid 'Gold Card' residency route and fits a broader pattern of tighter immigration policy under the Trump administration that could prompt legal challenges and administrative strain for consulates and employers.