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Until now, many immigrants legally staying in the US could apply for a green card without leaving the country through a process known as “adjustment of status”. Under the revised policy, USCIS officers have been instructed to decide on applications on a case-by-case basis and grant exceptions only in extraordinary circumstances.

DHS said the new approach was intended to prevent misuse of immigration loopholes. “An alien who is in the US temporarily and wants a Green Card must return to their home country to apply,” the department said in a statement. The administration argues that the immigration system should function “as the law intended” rather than encouraging temporary visa holders to remain in the country while pursuing permanent residency.

According to analysts at the Cato Institute, more than one million immigrants in the US are currently waiting for green cards.

The new rules could force many applicants to leave behind jobs, homes and families while their applications are processed overseas. Immigration experts say the change could particularly hurt mixed-status families, where some members are US citizens or permanent residents while others are on temporary visas. There is also uncertainty over how pending green card applications already filed inside the US will be treated.

Immigrant aid organisations strongly criticised the move. HIAS said the policy could endanger vulnerable people, including survivors of trafficking and abused children, by compelling them to return to countries they had fled.

Critics also warned that the policy could worsen delays, as the US immigration system is already struggling with a large backlog of visa and residency applications.

The latest measure is part of a wider tightening of immigration rules under the Trump administration. Over the past year, the administration has shortened visa durations for foreign students, media personnel and cultural exchange visitors. In January, the US State Department said it had revoked more than 1,00,000 visas during Trump’s second term. The administration has also taken steps affecting refugees and immigrants with protected legal status in the United States.