The United States government has introduced a new immigration policy requiring Nigerians and other foreign nationals seeking permanent residency to return to their home countries to complete the green card application process.
In a statement released on Friday, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said the decision was intended to restore what it described as the “original intent” of American immigration laws.
According to USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler, the measure is aimed at reducing the number of foreigners who remain in the United States illegally after their residency requests are denied.
The agency explained that, except in rare and extraordinary situations, individuals applying for adjustment of status would now have to process their green card applications through U.S. consular offices in their respective countries 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,” the statement said.
Kahler added, “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.”
USCIS stated that the new directive would mainly affect people in the country on temporary visas, including students, tourists, and foreign workers.
“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.
The agency also argued that handling residency applications through overseas consular offices would help conserve resources and allow USCIS to focus more on other immigration-related responsibilities.
According to the statement, this would enable the agency to devote greater attention to cases involving victims of violent crimes, human trafficking matters, naturalisation applications, and other immigration 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 stated.
The latest move comes months after the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly suspended the processing of green card and citizenship applications for Nigerians and citizens of other countries affected by the U.S. travel ban in December 2025.
According to reports by CBS News, the suspension impacted legal immigration applications processed by USCIS and largely targeted immigrants from selected African and Asian nations.
Many of those affected were already residing legally in the United States and had applied to either adjust their immigration status or obtain American citizenship.
The Trump administration had also instructed USCIS to halt immigration petitions, including permanent residency and citizenship requests, from nationals of 19 countries listed under the travel restrictions announced in June.