US Green Card Rules: Big news has come for thousands of Indians waiting for permanent citizenship i.e. green card in America. The Donald Trump administration on Friday announced the implementation of a new rule, under which immigrants applying for a green card will now have to leave the US and return to their country and complete the application process from there.

Till now, many people used to apply for Green Card through the “Adjustment of Status” process while living in America, but after the new rule, it will not be easy to do so.

USCIS issued new guidelines

In the new guideline issued by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), it has been said that people wishing to get a Green Card will no longer be able to apply normally while living in America. They will have to return to their home country and apply through the US Embassy or Consulate.

Green card is an official identity card, which gives a foreign citizen the right to live permanently in America. Green card holders can live anywhere in America, work in most companies, study and can move in and out of America under the rules. Later he can also apply for American citizenship.

“Now you will have to apply after returning home.”

USCIS spokesman Jack Kahler said, “From now on, anyone living temporarily in the United States who wants a green card will have to return to their home country and apply. Exemptions will be granted only in exceptional circumstances.” He said that this step has been taken to implement the basic objective of the law so that people follow the American immigration system properly.

Impact on students and H-1B visa holders

This decision may have the biggest impact on international students, professionals working on H-1B visas and people living in America on tourist visas. These people were hoping to get permanent citizenship without leaving America. Kahler said, “We are eliminating the loopholes in America’s immigration system. The system will no longer be allowed to be abused.”

Investigation will be done on case to case basis

According to the new policy memo, now getting a green card through “Adjustment of Status” while staying inside America will be considered an extraordinary relief. Immigration officers will investigate such cases on different basis. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a social media post, “People who have come to the US temporarily and want a green card, they will have to return to their country and apply. This policy is designed to keep the immigration system running according to the law. The era of abuse of the system is now over.”

USCIS explained the reason for the change

USCIS says that this new rule will reduce the incidents of illegal stay in America after the visa period is over. Besides, the problem of people going missing after the green card application is rejected will also be stopped. “Nonimmigrants such as students, temporary workers, and tourists come to the United States for limited periods of time and for specific purposes. Their travel should not serve as the first step in the green card process,” the agency said.

Large number of Indians may be affected

In the financial year 2024, about 49,700 people of Indian origin had acquired American citizenship through the Green Card process. In this case, Indians were the second largest group after Mexicans. The share of Indians among the total recipients of American citizenship was 6.1 percent.

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USCIS enumerated the benefits

The US administration says that sending the green card application process to US embassies abroad will reduce the pressure on USCIS resources. This will allow the agency to pay more attention to citizenship applications, visa applications from victims of violent crime and cases related to human trafficking.