United States President Donald Trump has directed that Nigerians and other foreign nationals seeking permanent residency must return to their home countries to complete their green card applications, effectively ending most in-country status adjustments.
United States President Donald Trump has directed that Nigerians and other foreign nationals seeking permanent residency in the US must return to their home countries to complete the green card application process, except under what authorities describe as “extraordinary circumstances.” The sweeping policy shift was announced on Friday by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which explained that the measure is intended to restore the original operational framework of US immigration law. In an official statement, the agency confirmed that individuals seeking to adjust their immigration status from within the United States will now be required to process their residency applications through US consular offices abroad under the direct supervision of the Department of State. Emphasizing a return to statutory compliance, the agency stated: “We’re returning to the original intent of the law to ensure aliens navigate our nation’s immigration system properly. From now on, an alien who is in the US temporarily and wants a Green Card must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances.”
According to federal authorities, the new approach is specifically designed to reinforce compliance with immigration procedures and reduce the volume of unsuccessful applicants who remain in the country after their cases are denied. USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler noted that the policy would help prevent systemic abuse of the immigration framework and discourage unlawful stays by individuals transitioning between visa categories. Defending the structural change, Kahler remarked: “This policy allows our immigration system to function as the law intended instead of incentivising loopholes. When aliens apply from their home country, it reduces the need to find and remove those who decide to slip into the shadows and remain in the U.S. illegally after being denied residency.” According to USCIS, the rule will primarily affect holders of nonimmigrant visas, including international students, temporary workers, and tourists, who entered the country for specific, time-bound purposes. Clarifying this distinction, the agency added: “Nonimmigrants, like students, temporary workers, or people on tourist visas, come to the US for a short time and for a specific purpose. Our system is designed for them to leave when their visit is over. Their visit should not function as the first step in the Green Card process.”
The agency also argued that processing applications through overseas consular offices would allow USCIS to redirect its domestic resources toward other critical, backlogged immigration responsibilities. USCIS stated that the change would enable it to devote significantly more attention to applications involving victims of violent crimes, human trafficking survivors, naturalization requests, and other humanitarian services within its core mandate, adding that, “The law was written this way for a reason, and despite the fact that it has been ignored for years, following it will help make our system fairer and more efficient.” This latest directive comes amid a broader tightening of immigration policies under the Trump administration, following a December 2025 suspension of green card and citizenship processing for nationals of several countries added to a U.S. travel ban after a shooting incident in Washington, D.C. The new policy is expected to affect thousands of prospective immigrants, including Nigerians, who may now be required to leave the United States and complete their residency applications through American diplomatic missions in their countries of origin.
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