The new policy will affect students, temporary workers, and tourists seeking permanent residency while living in the United States.

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump announced a new immigration policy that will require migrants holding temporary visas to leave the country in order to apply for permanent residency, commonly known as a “green card.”

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said the measure is based on the Immigration and Nationality Act, although it acknowledged that previous administrations had not strictly enforced this provision.

Under the new policy, individuals in the United States with nonimmigrant visas  including tourist, student, and temporary work visas  will no longer be allowed to complete the adjustment of status process from within the country, except under “exceptional circumstances,” which were not specified.

The measure will affect holders of B-1 and B-2 visas for business and tourism; F-1 and M-1 student visas; as well as temporary work permits such as H-1B, H-2A, and H-2B visas, among other categories.

Currently, thousands of migrants apply for permanent residency from within the United States based on family ties, marriage, or employment sponsorship. During that process, which can take years, applicants typically renew their immigration permits while awaiting a decision.

However, the Trump administration plans to require those individuals to return to their countries of origin and continue the process through U.S. consulates abroad.

“From now on, a foreign national who is temporarily in the United States and wishes to obtain a green card will have to return to their home country to apply, except in exceptional circumstances,” USCIS spokesperson Zach Kahler said.

The official stated that the measure will help reduce the number of foreigners overstaying in the United States and allow USCIS to focus resources on other immigration processes, such as naturalization applications and visas for crime victims.

In addition, the agency argued that the U.S. immigration system was designed for temporary visitors to return home once their stay ends, rather than for visas to serve as a pathway to permanent residency.

The announcement is part of the restrictive immigration agenda promoted by the Trump administration, aimed at tightening immigration controls, reducing irregular migration, and limiting certain legal pathways for residency and asylum in the United States.