President Trump: Nigerians, Others Must Go Home To Apply for Green Cards
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has disclosed a new immigration directive mandated by President Donald Trump . Under this rule, Nigerian nationals and other foreign citizens residing temporarily in the United States must exit the country and return home to complete their permanent residency (Green Card) applications, with exceptions made only for extraordinary circumstances .
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) introduced the new directive to restore the original intent of America's immigration framework. According to the agency, the policy aligns domestic practices with foundational legal standards to ensure all applicants navigate the immigration system correctly.
Under the updated guidelines, foreign nationals seeking an adjustment of status must process their permanent residency applications abroad. The processing will now take place through U.S. consular offices in their respective home countries, operating under the direct supervision of the U.S. Department of State.
In an official statement, the agency confirmed that temporary visa holders residing in the United States must return home to complete their Green Card applications. The agency emphasized that out-of-country processing is mandatory for all applicants, with exceptions granted only under verified extraordinary circumstances.
“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 noted that the policy would mainly affect temporary visitors, including students, tourists and workers admitted into the US on nonimmigrant visas.
“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.
USCIS also said processing residency applications through consular offices abroad would allow the agency to focus more resources on other immigration matters.
According to the statement, the agency would have more capacity to handle applications involving victims of violent crimes, human trafficking cases, naturalisation requests and other immigration-related services.
“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 latest directive comes months after Trump, in December 2025, temporarily suspended the processing of green card and citizenship applications filed by Nigerians and nationals of other countries recently added to the US travel ban, according to CBS News.
The suspension affected legal immigration applications managed by USCIS and largely targeted immigrants from some African and Asian countries.