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2026-05-25 09:47:22
[New US Rule Requires Green Card Applicants to Leave the Country to Submit Applications, Draws Widespread Criticism] (1) The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has introduced a new policy requiring green card applicants to return to their country of origin to submit their applications, no longer allowing them to wait for processing in the US; however, exemptions may be granted for those who are in the national interest or seeking asylum. The Department of Homeland Security stated that this move aims to close loopholes in the system. (2) Democratic lawmakers and immigration advocates strongly criticized the policy as "reckless and wrong." Representative Grace Meng stated that she would exhaust all means to push for its repeal; immigration advocate Butoria pointed out that this would put 1.2 million Indian Americans and their families in distress and warned that she would file a lawsuit. (3) Many experts and politicians believe that the policy will harm US competitiveness. Bill of the Cato Institute called it "illogical" and would push talent to other countries; Representative Stanton stated that forcing immigrants to leave the country would deprive them of their innovation, tax revenue, and economic contributions; Coursera's Andrew Ng called it a capricious attack on legal immigrants, which would hurt families and weaken US competitiveness in areas such as AI. (4) Currently, more than one million people in the U.S. are awaiting the outcome of their green card applications. After the new rule takes effect, most applicants will be unable to remain in the U.S. during the processing period, potentially leading to a decline in legal immigration. Critics argue that this move will cause immense suffering to families and cause the U.S. to lose doctors, teachers, and scientists.
