New Delhi: The US government has introduced a new immigration policy that could require many foreign nationals seeking green cards to complete their applications outside the country through American consulates and embassies.
The change was announced by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in a policy memorandum released on Friday, according to theguardian.com.
The agency said immigration officers would examine requests individually while deciding whether exceptional relief should be granted in specific cases.
Under the updated guidance, temporary visa holders in the US who are pursuing permanent residency may be directed to return to their home countries and continue the green card process through the US State Department instead of completing it from within the country.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees USCIS, defended the move by saying the immigration system should operate in line with existing legal procedures rather than encouraging what it described as loopholes.
For more than six decades, eligible immigrants already living in the United States have been able to seek permanent residency through a process known as adjustment of status, allowing them to remain in the country while their applications are reviewed.
The new USCIS policy marks a major shift in that long-standing practice and has triggered criticism from immigration attorneys, aid organisations and policy experts.
Analysts warned that the revised process could create fresh uncertainty for immigrants already living and working in the United States, particularly families with mixed immigration status.
According to estimates cited by the Cato Institute, more than one million immigrants in the country are currently waiting for green cards as the US immigration system continues to face a large backlog of pending visa and residency applications.
Critics of the policy say applicants may be forced to leave behind employment, housing, and family members while waiting for decisions on their cases abroad, with no clear timeline for re-entry into the US.
