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USCIS has introduced a policy requiring many legal immigrants to leave the US and apply for Green Cards through consular processing abroad, limiting adjustment of status. The move has drawn strong criticism from advocates and lawmakers, warning it could disrupt H-1B workers, students, families, and long-term immigration stability.

Washington: The Trump administration has unveiled a new immigration policy that could force many immigrants already living legally in the United States to leave the country and apply for permanent residency from abroad, triggering sharp criticism from immigrant advocates, Democratic lawmakers and local officials.

The new policy memo issued by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reiterates that adjustment of status — the process through which eligible immigrants apply for Green Cards while remaining inside the United States — is “a matter of discretion and administrative grace” and not intended to replace regular consular processing abroad.

USCIS said officers must consider applications on a “case-by-case basis” and weigh whether applicants deserve what the agency described as an “extraordinary form of relief.”

“We’re returning to the original intent of the law to ensure aliens navigate our nation’s immigration system properly,” USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler said.