United States President, Donald Trump, has ordered Nigerians and other foreign nationals seeking permanent residency in America to return to their home countries to complete the green card application process.
The new immigration directive was announced on Friday by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, USCIS, as part of a wider policy shift by the Trump administration aimed at tightening immigration procedures.
Under the new rule, foreigners already living temporarily in the United States on student, tourist or work visas will no longer be allowed to remain in the country while processing their green card applications, except under what officials described as “extraordinary circumstances.”
In a statement released by the agency, USCIS said the policy was introduced to restore what it called the original purpose of America’s immigration laws.
The agency stated that applicants seeking adjustment of status would now be required to complete their applications through US consular offices in their countries under the supervision of the US Department of State.
“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 U.S. temporarily and wants a Green Card must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances,” the statement read.
USCIS spokesman, Zach Kahler, said the new measure was also designed to reduce the number of migrants who remain in the United States illegally after their residency requests are denied.
According to him, the previous system created loopholes that allowed some migrants to disappear into the country after unsuccessful applications.
“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,” Kahler said.
The immigration agency explained that the policy would mostly affect temporary visa holders, including students, tourists and foreign workers who entered the country for short-term purposes.
USCIS maintained that nonimmigrant visas were never intended to serve as a pathway for individuals to begin permanent residency applications while already inside the United States.
“Nonimmigrants, like students, temporary workers, or people on tourist visas, come to the U.S. 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 added.
Officials also argued that transferring green card processing to consular offices abroad would allow USCIS to focus more resources on other immigration matters, including citizenship applications, human trafficking cases and petitions involving victims of violent crimes.
The agency insisted that the law had existed for years but had not been properly enforced by previous administrations.
“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,” the statement added.
The latest move is expected to affect thousands of immigrants already residing legally in the United States, including Nigerians studying or working in the country who planned to transition into permanent residency.
The Trump administration has in recent months introduced several hardline immigration measures as part of its broader crackdown on migration into the United States.
Recall that in December 2025, the Trump administration temporarily suspended the processing of green card and citizenship applications filed by Nigerians and nationals of several countries affected by the US travel restrictions.
The suspension reportedly affected legal immigrants already residing in America who were attempting to adjust their immigration status or become US citizens.
