US tells foreigners seeking green cards: Return to your countries to apply

(Patria) - Foreign nationals seeking to adjust their immigration status in the U.S. to obtain green cards will have to do so from outside the country through the State Department, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced, a move that has been criticized by humanitarian groups, Reuters reported.

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

"A foreign national who is temporarily in the U.S. and wants a green card must return to their home country to apply," said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees USCIS.

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

USCIS said 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, said USCIS is forcing survivors of human trafficking and abused and neglected children to return to the dangerous countries they fled to have their green card applications processed, which grant them permanent residency in the U.S.

The policy change on Friday is the latest in a series of steps U.S. President Donald Trump has taken over the past year to tighten immigration into the United States.

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

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