Washington, United States – United States President Donald Trump directed on Friday, May 22, 2026 that nationals from Nigeria and other countries seeking green cards must return to their home countries to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances.
Okay News reports that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services announced the policy in a press statement, requiring aliens seeking an adjustment of status to process residency applications through 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,” the agency said.
Zach Kahler, a spokesman for the agency, said the policy aims to reduce the number of migrants remaining illegally in the country 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 said.
The agency stated the policy affects temporary visitors, including students, tourists, and workers entering the country on nonimmigrant visas, and argued that routing applications through consular offices will redirect resources toward naturalisation requests, human trafficking cases, and victims of violent crimes.
“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 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.
In December 2025, the administration temporarily halted the processing of green card and citizenship petitions from nationals of 19 countries covered by a travel ban, following a Thanksgiving week shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington DC by an Afghan national.
