The U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated that it introduced a controversial policy last week that requires most people applying for permanent residence status to submit applications abroad. However, green card applicants with excellent qualifications and professional skills will basically not be significantly affected.
The Department of Homeland Security issued a statement on Saturday making the clarification, intended to reassure employers and immigrant groups that the approval process would not be tightened. The statement said that the guidance issued by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services last week only reiterated long-standing laws, regulations and policies.
Previously, a spokesperson for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services stated that temporary residents in the United States who apply for a green card must return to their country of origin to apply for the green card, except under special circumstances. This provision would have changed decades of practice: immigrants who were sponsored by relatives or employers in the past could stay in the United States to wait for green card approval.
The latest statement from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated that the requirement to apply for a green card from abroad will not affect those who can serve the national interests of the United States and create economic value. This policy will not prevent any qualified person from obtaining a green card.
After the initial announcement by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, immigration attorneys were flooded with calls from clients worried that the Trump administration was intent on tightening legal immigration policies.
At the same time, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that some applicants still need to go to an embassy or consulate outside the United States to start the application process. Existing legal permanent residents will not be affected in any way, the department added.
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The Trump administration announced that foreigners must return to their home countries to apply for green cards, which may have a wide impact on immigrant groups