USA for foreigners seeking green cards: Return to your countries to apply

(Patria) - Foreigners who wish to adjust their immigration status in the USA to obtain green cards will have to do so from outside the country through the State Department, announced the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a move criticized by humanitarian groups, Reuters reported.

USCIS announced this move in a policy memorandum, which instructed officials to consider relevant factors and case-by-case information when determining if extraordinary assistance is needed.

"A foreigner who is temporarily in the USA and wants a green card must return to their homeland to apply," stated the US Department of Homeland Security, which oversees USCIS.

"This policy allows our immigration system to function as intended by law, rather than encouraging loopholes."

USCIS stated that the new policy will free up the agency's resources to focus on processing other cases.

HIAS, a humanitarian group that provides services to refugees, among other immigrant groups, stated that USCIS is forcing survivors of human trafficking and abused and neglected children to return to the dangerous countries they fled to have their applications for green cards, which grant them permanent residency in the USA, processed.

Friday's policy change is the latest in a series of steps US President Donald Trump has taken over the past year to tighten immigration into the United States.

Last year, the Trump administration took measures to shorten the duration of visas for students, those participating in cultural exchange, and media employees.

In January, the State Department announced that it had revoked more than 100,000 visas since Trump took office a year earlier.