The Trump administration has ordered Nigerians and other foreign nationals applying for permanent residency to return to their home countries to complete the process. This shift in Trump immigration policy changes how US Green Card application rules apply to temporary visa holders, removing the ability for most applicants to adjust their status while remaining in the United States.
According to a press 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.
Under the updated USCIS visa adjustments framework, individuals seeking permanent residency must now process their applications through US consular offices abroad. This requirement moves the administrative oversight to 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 spokesman, Zach Kahler, said the policy would help reduce the number of migrants remaining illegally in the country after unsuccessful residency applications.
“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,” Kahler said.
New US Green Card application rules: Impact on Temporary Visa Holders
The legal immigration changes apply directly to temporary visitors, including students, tourists, and workers who entered the country on nonimmigrant visas.
The agency explained, “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.”
USCIS stated that routing applications through consular offices abroad will free up agency resources. The change is intended to let staff focus on applications involving victims of violent crimes, human trafficking cases, naturalisation requests, and other domestic immigration services.
The statement added, “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.”
Previous Travel Ban Restrictions
This directive follows earlier restrictions placed on legal immigration pathways. 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.
Additionally, 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.
