The administration of US President Donald Trump has directed Nigerians and other foreign nationals seeking permanent residency in the United States to return to their home countries before applying for green cards.
The new immigration policy was announced on Friday by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, which said the move was aimed at restoring the “original intent” of American immigration law.
According to USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler, the policy is designed to reduce the number of migrants who remain illegally in the United States after unsuccessful residency applications.
We’re returning to the original intent of the law to ensure aliens navigate our nation’s immigration system properly,” Kahler stated.
Under the new directive, foreigners already in the United States on temporary visas, including students, tourists and temporary workers, will generally no longer be allowed to apply for adjustment of status from within the country except under extraordinary circumstances.
Instead, applicants seeking permanent residency will now be required to process their green card applications through US consular offices in their home countries under the supervision of the United States Department of State.
The USCIS explained that the immigration system was originally designed for nonimmigrant visitors to leave the United States after the expiration of their visas rather than use temporary entry as a pathway to permanent residency.
Nonimmigrants, like students, temporary workers or tourists, come to the U.S. for a short period and for a specific purpose. Their visit should not function as the first step in the Green Card process, the agency stated.
According to USCIS, routing applications through consular offices abroad will help the agency focus more resources on other immigration priorities, including citizenship applications, human trafficking cases and petitions involving victims of violent crimes.
The agency maintained that enforcing the policy would make the immigration system “fairer and more efficient.”
The latest directive follows earlier immigration restrictions introduced by the Trump administration.
In December 2025, the administration reportedly suspended the processing of green card and citizenship applications filed by Nigerians and nationals of several other countries affected by the expanded US travel ban.
The suspension affected many legal immigrants already residing in the United States who were seeking to adjust their immigration status or become American citizens.
The Trump administration had also ordered USCIS to freeze immigration petitions from nationals of 19 countries listed under the travel restrictions announced in June 2025.
The new policy is expected to significantly affect thousands of Nigerians and other foreign nationals studying, working or residing temporarily in the United States who intend to transition to permanent residency.
Immigration analysts say the policy could lead to longer processing times, increased travel costs and uncertainty for applicants who may now be required to leave the US before completing their residency applications.
The development has also reignited debate over the Trump administration’s stricter immigration policies and its broader efforts to tighten pathways to permanent residency in the United States.
