Trump policy would send most green card seekers abroad

May 23, 2026

Summary

A new Trump administration policy would require many green card applicants in the U.S. to leave and apply abroad.

Why this matters

The policy could affect hundreds of thousands of green card cases each year, including applications tied to marriage and employment. For some immigrants, leaving the U.S. could trigger reentry bans or leave them unable to return because of other administration restrictions.

The Trump administration on Friday announced a policy that would require many immigrants already in the U.S. to leave the country before seeking permanent residency, further limiting legal immigration.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said most immigrants seeking a green card would no longer be able to complete the process in the U.S. through adjustment of status. Instead, officials said, they would generally need to return to their home countries and apply for an immigrant visa at a U.S. consulate.

The change could affect students, tourists, other temporary visa holders, and some people who entered legally but overstayed their visas, including those seeking green cards through sponsorship by U.S. citizen spouses or employers.

For some immigrants, leaving the U.S. could make reentry difficult or impossible. Citizens of 39 countries, most in Africa and Asia, face entry bans or restrictions under Trump’s travel ban. A separate administration policy has paused immigrant visa grants for people in 75 countries seeking to move to the U.S. permanently. In most cases, people who overstayed visas and then leave the U.S. after living here unlawfully for some time trigger 10-year bars on reentry.

The policy appeared to leave exceptions for people with “dual intent” visas, including H-1Bs, as well as refugees and asylees.

“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,” USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler said. “This policy allows our immigration system to function as the law intended instead of incentivizing loopholes.”

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As of Friday, the website was offline.

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The incident followed another security issue involving a business tied to President Donald Trump. On Friday, Trump Mobile, President Trump’s cell phone provider and phone maker, confirmed that it had left customers’ personal information exposed online, including names, email addresses, mailing addresses, cell phone numbers, and order identifiers.

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U.S. District Judge Waverly David Crenshaw Jr. in Tennessee rejected Ábrego’s claim of “actual vindictiveness,” a high legal standard, but said there was sufficient evidence of “presumptive vindictiveness” to dismiss the human smuggling charges. Crenshaw cited the timing of the indictment, statements by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, and oversight by senior Justice Department officials.

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At the 79th World Health Assembly, member states agreed by consensus that no further action was needed on Argentina’s notice that it will leave the World Health Organization.

The assembly noted a March 17, 2025, communication to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stating that Argentina would withdraw from the WHO effective one year after receipt of the letter.

In a brief resolution adopted Friday, the assembly said that while the WHO would always welcome Argentina’s full cooperation, “it is not considered that any further action at this stage is desirable.” Norway and Paraguay led work on the compromise text.

A January report by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recalled that in 1949 and 1950, seven member states, including the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, and Bulgaria, said they no longer considered themselves members. When they resumed participation, the assembly decided they would make a “token payment” for the period when their membership was inactive. The resolution adopted Friday used the same language as the assembly did in 1950.

Sigrid Kranawetter, the WHO’s director for governing bodies, said: “I don’t like to use the word withdrawal because it’s legally not correct.”

The WHO is “not a social club” and “you don’t stop your membership,” Kranawetter said.

“There is no need for anyone who accepts the WHO constitution to withdraw from it, because you do not give up any part of your sovereignty when you accept the WHO constitution.

“If you stop engaging, if you stop working, that is the prerogative of a sovereign state. You can do that any time.”

During the assembly, China asked whether departing members could still participate in WHO frameworks. Its representative said, “Global public health is a whole and cannot be divided; no country can stay out of it.”