U.S. immigrants seeking Green Cards, including Indians, will now have to return home to apply

Key points

• All immigrants in the U.S., including Indians, looking to obtain a Green Card will now have to return to their home countries to apply, according to a new policy announced by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
• “U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced a new policy memo reiterating the fact that, consistent with long-standing immigration law and immigration court decisions, aliens seeking adjustment of status must do so through consular processing via the Department of State outside of the country,” the USCIS said in a release dated May 22, 2026. According to USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler, the new rule represents a return to the “original intent of the law” to ensure that potential immigrants navigate the U.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,”...