Donald Trump has directed that Nigerians and other foreign nationals seeking permanent residency in the United States must return to their home countries to apply for green cards, except under what the administration described as “extraordinary circumstances.”
The new immigration policy was disclosed on Friday in a statement issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
According to the agency, the measure is intended to restore what it called the “original intent” of U.S. immigration law by requiring foreign nationals seeking adjustment of status to process their residency applications through U.S. consular offices abroad under the supervision of the United States 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,” USCIS said in the statement.
USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler said the policy would help reduce the number of migrants who remain in the United States illegally after unsuccessful residency 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 stated.
The agency explained that the policy would mainly affect temporary visitors, including students, tourists and workers admitted into the U.S. on nonimmigrant visas.
“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 statement added.
USCIS further argued that processing residency applications through overseas consular offices would free up agency resources for other immigration priorities, including applications involving victims of violent crimes, human trafficking cases, naturalisation requests and related services.
“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 agency added.
The latest directive follows a series of immigration restrictions introduced by the Trump administration.
In December 2025, the administration temporarily suspended the processing of green card and citizenship applications filed by Nigerians and nationals of other countries added to the U.S. travel ban, according to a report by CBS News.
The suspension affected legal immigration applications handled by USCIS and primarily targeted immigrants from selected African and Asian countries, including individuals already residing legally in the United States who were seeking permanent residency or citizenship.
The Trump administration also directed USCIS to freeze immigration petitions, including applications for permanent residency and naturalisation, from nationals of 19 countries covered under the travel ban announced in June.
The decision followed the Thanksgiving week shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington, DC, an attack allegedly carried out by an Afghan national.
