- Donald Trump has mandated that green card applicants apply from their home countries, except in extraordinary circumstances
- The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) aims to restore the original intent of immigration law through its new processing policy
- The change primarily affects temporary visitors and is intended to free up resources for other immigration priorities
Legit.ng journalist, Ridwan Adeola Yusuf, has over 5 years of experience covering migration.
Washington, USA – Amid the ‘japa’ wave, United States President Donald Trump has directed that Nigerians and other nationals applying for green cards must return to their home countries to apply for the process, except in extraordinary circumstances.
‘Japa’ is a Yoruba word meaning to run, flee, or escape. It has become firmly associated with the desire of many young Nigerians to leave the country permanently.
Source: Getty Images
US tightens green card process
As reported by Al Jazeera, the new immigration development from the US was disclosed on Friday, May 22.
The Washington Post also noted the development.
According to a statement issued by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the agency said the policy was aimed at restoring what it described as the “original intent” of US immigration law.
The statement noted that aliens seeking adjustment of status would now be required to process their residency applications through US consular offices abroad under the supervision of the United States Department of State.
The agency stated:
“We’re returning to the original intent of the law to ensure aliens navigate our nation’s immigration system properly. 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.”
USCIS spokesperson Zach Kahler said the policy would help reduce the number of migrants remaining illegally in the country after unsuccessful residency applications.
Kahler said:
“This policy allows our immigration system to function as the law intended instead of incentivising loopholes. When aliens apply from their home country, it 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.”
The agency explained that the policy would particularly affect temporary visitors such as students, tourists and workers who enter the U.S. on non-immigrant visas.
The statement added:
“Nonimmigrants, like students, temporary workers, or people on tourist visas, come to the U.S. for a short time and for a specific purpose. Our system is designed for them to leave when their visit is over. Their visit should not function as the first step in the Green Card process.”
‘Green card applicants must apply abroad’
Furthermore, USCIS argued that routing residency applications through consular offices abroad would free up limited agency resources to focus on other immigration priorities.
The statement added that the agency would be able to dedicate more attention to applications involving victims of violent crimes, human crime cases, naturalisation requests and other immigration services under its jurisdiction.
“The law was written this way for a reason, and despite the fact that it has been ignored for years, following it will help make our system fairer and more efficient.”
Source: Getty Images
It would be recalled that in December 2025, Trump temporarily halted the processing of green card and citizenship applications filed by Nigerians and nationals of other countries newly added to the US travel ban, according to a report by CBS News.
The suspension affects legal immigration applications handled by the USCIS and mainly targets immigrants from selected African and Asian countries.
Many of those affected are already living legally in the United States and were seeking to adjust their immigration status or become American citizens.
Also, the Trump administration directed USCIS to freeze all immigration petitions, including applications for permanent residency and citizenship, from nationals of 19 countries covered by the travel ban announced in June.
The decision followed the Thanksgiving week shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington DC, an attack allegedly carried out by an Afghan national.
Confusion surrounds green card rule change
USCIS described the change as a return to “the original intent of the law” and closing a “loophole.” But immigration lawyers and aid groups pushed back, saying it was a longstanding practice for many groups to be able to adjust their status in the US and that many people could not return home because it was not safe or they had no embassy to apply at. The US Embassy in Afghanistan, for example, has been closed since the US pullout in August 2021.
“USCIS is trying to upend decades of processing of adjustment of status,” said Shev Dalal-Dheini, senior director of government relations at the American Immigration Lawyers Association. “This all applies very broadly to anyone seeking a green card”.
Among them could be individuals married to US citizens, immigrants with humanitarian protection who are applying for a green card, and holders of work visas, including doctors and professionals, as well as student and religious visa holders, the attorney noted.
At some US consulates abroad, wait times for a visa appointment could take up to more than a year, said Dalal-Dheini.
Immigration attorneys were picking through the policy memo and announcement on Friday afternoon, May 22, trying to decipher who it would apply to.
Organisations that provide legal and other assistance to immigrants said they were hearing from clients concerned about what the new guidance would mean for them.
“It’s really hard to tell how this is going to be applied,” said Jessie De Haven, senior staff attorney with the California Immigration Project a non profit that provides legal services to low income immigrants. “I do think it might have a chilling effect on people applying.”
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Source: Legit.ng