Trump mandates green card applicants leave US to apply from home countries

The Trump administration has announced that foreigners in the US on temporary visas must return to their home countries to apply for green cards, effective immediately. The policy, announced by US Citizenship and Immigration Services spokesman Zach Kahler on Friday, applies to students, H-1B and L visa holders, and visitors, with exceptions only in extraordinary circumstances. Immigration-law experts say the change could affect hundreds of thousands of people annually and further reduce legal immigration. The move is part of a broader government crackdown that has already restricted asylum seekers, students, and skilled workers. Kahler stated the policy aims to make the immigration system function as intended by law, rather than incentivizing loopholes.