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Permanent residence in America i.e. Green Card (green card) comes a very drastic and worrying policy change for thousands of Indian professionals and other foreign expatriates who are dreaming of Donald Trump administration has officially announced a new strict immigration policy. Under this new rule, most of the foreign citizens applying for Green Card will now have to leave the US soil and return to their home country and complete the further process from there.
This sudden change is being considered as a big and tough blow for those people who were hoping to get permanent residency while living in America without leaving the country.
What is the new rule and how will the entire system change?
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCISAccording to new strict guidelines issued by the US, foreign nationals currently living in the US on any temporary visa (such as student or work visa) will have to return to their home country as normal to proceed with the green card process.
Under the previous rules, in many cases people could seek ‘adjustment of status’ (adjustment of status) while still living legally within the US.Adjustment of Status) process to easily obtain a green card. But now under the new rules this in-country process will be approved only in extremely exceptional circumstances, and each application will be examined strictly on an individual basis.
International students and H-1B work visa holders will be most affected.
The most widespread and direct impact of this new policy will be on international students studying in America, H-1B work visa Holders and those migrants who arrived there on tourist visas, who were in the green card queue for a long time.
The Trump administration has a strong argument that the basic purpose of any foreign citizen coming to America on a temporary visa is to stay there only for a fixed and limited period. Therefore, the lengthy legal process for a green card or permanent residence should not be considered an extension of that temporary stay.
After all, why did the Trump administration take this tough decision?
USCIS and the Department of Homeland Security clearly state that the main objective of this policy change is to strictly enforce US immigration laws in their true and original form.
According to officials, this move will prevent people from staying in the US illegally even after their visas expire (Visa Overstay) incidents can be effectively controlled. The government believes that this policy will completely remove the legal loopholes in the immigration system and ensure transparent compliance with the rules.
Its wide-ranging impact on Indian immigrants and families
The Indian community is one of the most educated, prosperous and fastest growing immigrant groups within the United States. For this reason, the biggest impact of this policy is sure to be seen on the Indian workforce:
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Historical figures: If we look at the official figures for the financial year 2024, approximately 49,700 people of Indian origin Had acquired US Citizenship.
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Second largest group: With this huge figure, the Indian diaspora had emerged as the second largest group in the world to acquire US citizenship after Mexico.
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Change in plans: After the implementation of this new policy, thousands of Indian IT professionals, engineers, students and their families standing in the endless waiting list for Green Card will be forced to completely rethink their future plans and career setup.
Administrative logic and use of resources: The Trump administration has defended this policy, claiming that shifting the processing of green card applications to US embassies and consulates abroad would significantly reduce the workload on domestic USCIS offices. The remaining resources and officials can be used for other priority and sensitive tasks—such as expediting citizenship applications, preventing human trafficking, and expediting the processing of special visa cases for victims of violent crimes.
Experts and immigration lawyers believe that this new system will not only make the entire process of getting a green card extremely lengthy, but will also become extremely complicated administratively. Currently, there is deep concern among millions of migrant families about how hard this policy will have a practical impact on their current employment and family stability.
