WASHINGTON, D.C: The Trump administration gave another hard knock to the immigrants community by making huge amendments to the US Green Card Policy, which now requires all the immigrants to file their application for permanent residency from abroad. These new policies have essentially shut down the well-known way of adjusting an immigrant’s status while he was still on US soil.
The policy change was made clear by USCIS itself, when it instructed the applicant to file for permanent residence through the US Department of State from his own country a total reversal of the long-existing procedure of adjusting one’s status within America itself.
Understanding the New US Green Card Policy
As per the newly amended policy for obtaining US Green Cards, people who reside in the United States on a temporary basis such as international students, temporary workers, and tourists will have to leave the country to file an application for a Green Card. This process can be completed only via US embassies or consulates abroad.
The spokesperson for USCIS, Zach Kohler, clearly stated the position of the government on this issue. Foreign citizens who have been in the US for a certain period of time but who now want to get a Green Card need to leave the country and make an application in their home country. The only exceptions would be made for applicants in very rare cases.
Impact on International Students and Temporary Workers
The new green card policy affects quite a few distinct groups of non-permanent residents quite heavily. Among those affected are international students currently studying in America, temporary workers with an H-1B visa or its equivalents, and tourists who have become rooted after staying in the country for some time.
The consequences for most of these individuals would be grave indeed. It means that in order to submit an application, they will have to leave America, which can result in their losing their job or college enrollment or their place of residence, as well as all of the time spent working on building themselves up within America.
Shift in America’s Immigration Structure
The new US Green Card system is not simply an update in process. It reflects the conscious change in philosophy on the part of the Trump administration in terms of the link between temporary residency and immigration options.
The existing immigration policy in the United States saw the process of status adjustment as the natural order of things since individuals had already established themselves as legal residents and were paying their taxes and contributing to society. However, under the new model, it is not possible for these categories to coincide in the United States.
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What Applicants Need to do Now
Foreigners who find themselves within the boundaries of the US after planning on filing an application for their US Green Card through the process of adjustment of status are required by law to completely change their plans regarding obtaining citizenship.
It is highly recommended by legal experts that one seek out competent immigration lawyers before making any decision regarding their exit from the country, as departing the US while holding a certain type of visa can place one at a disadvantage in their pursuit of permanent residence. The new law is aggressively inclined, and the specifics can make all the difference.
