US Green Card Rule Change: Trump government’s tough blow to Indians hoping for green card, now they will have to leave America

A very tough and shocking policy change has come from the US government for millions of foreign citizens, especially Indian professionals and students, who are hoping to settle permanently in America and get Permanent Residency (PR). The Donald Trump administration has made a historic and strong announcement on Friday (22 May 2026). Under this, any migrant who now wants to get the right of permanent residence in America i.e. Green Card, will no longer be able to complete this process by staying inside America. For this they will compulsorily have to return to their home country. According to this new and strict guideline issued by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), applicants seeking ‘Adjustment of Status’ will now have to operate the entire application process from their home country after leaving US soil. What is Green Card and why is this document important? Green Card (officially Permanent Resident Card) is a strong and authentic identity card that grants any foreign citizen the right to legally reside and work permanently in the United States. Rights and privileges: A green card holder has the freedom to live anywhere in the United States, work for any employer, pursue higher education, and travel without restrictions within and outside the country. Apart from this, upon meeting the prescribed time limit and eligibility, they also become eligible for US Citizenship. USCIS spokesperson’s tough stance: Immigration Services spokesperson Jack Kahler clarified the policy completely, saying, "From now on, any foreign citizen who is in the US on a temporary visa and wants to obtain a green card will have to return to their home country to start the application process. There will be no relaxation in this except in extremely exceptional circumstances."

It will have the biggest impact on H-1B visa holders and students. This sudden and stringent step by the US administration has created a major crisis over the future of millions of Indian IT professionals (H-1B Visa Holders), international students and tourists living there. Under the rules in place so far, foreign nationals could apply for a change of status (upgrade from a temporary visa to permanent residence) while still living legally in the US and were not required to leave the country. According to the USCIS memo, ‘Adjustment of Status’ within the US will now be considered only ‘an extraordinary form of relief’ rather than a routine process. Along with this, strict orders have been given to the immigration authorities to investigate all such requests received from within the US very closely and strictly on a case-by-case basis. Why was this big policy change made? Highlighting the main reasons behind this tough decision, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has written in clear words that this policy allows the US immigration system to work in accordance with the basic laws of the country, and does not promote any legal loophole. The government believes that the old era of misuse of the country’s immigration system has now completely ended. USCIS has made two main strong arguments in favor of this change: Control on visa overstay: Many foreign nationals remain in the US illegally under the pretext of green card application even after their temporary visa expires, the new rule will drastically reduce the problem of this ‘visa overstay’. Preventing migrants from hiding: Many migrants go into hiding illegally in US cities after their residency or green card applications are often rejected or denied, making them difficult to track. In case of applying from your home country, such security risks will be completely eliminated. After this new policy change, now Indian tech professionals and consultants will have to do their legal planning afresh and very strictly, because returning to India during the application may also have a partial impact on their current employment and career.