Foreign nationals seeking permanent residency in the U.S. will now have to leave the country to apply for green cards, a change with potentially far-reaching ramifications for legal immigration amid President Donald Trump¡¯s sweeping crackdown.
¡°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,¡± Zach Kahler, a spokesman for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), said in a statement Friday.
The details of how the new system will play out remained unclear, but requiring people to travel abroad to a U.S. Consulate could leave many stranded for weeks, months or even years in backlogged appointment systems. That would risk upending families and complicating plans for the companies sponsoring foreign employees for green cards.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.