The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has moved to calm fears among immigrants after a recent immigration announcement sparked confusion over the future of the Green card process. The department clarified that most people applying for permanent residency will not be required to leave the United States while their applications are being reviewed. The reassurance came after a statement from US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) was widely interpreted as a major policy shift that would force applicants to return to their home countries during the processing period, except under limited circumstances.
The clarification follows growing concern among immigrant communities, employers and immigration lawyers who feared that long-standing procedures were about to be overhauled. According to a report by The New York Times, DHS said there has been no broad change in policy and stressed that immigration officers have always had the authority to decide, on a case-by-case basis, whether an applicant should complete the process from outside the country.
Confusion grows after USCIS statement sparks concern among immigrants
As per reports, the controversy began after USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler linked the issue to President Donald Trump’s wider immigration crackdown. His remarks suggested that people seeking a Green card while staying temporarily in the United States would generally have to leave the country and apply from abroad.
“From now on, an alien who is in the US temporarily and wants a green card must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances,” Bloomberg quoted Kahler as saying.
The statement immediately raised alarm because it appeared to challenge a long-established immigration pathway known as “adjustment of status.” Under this system, eligible immigrants can apply for a Green card while remaining in the United States as their cases move through the approval process. In most cases, applicants are sponsored either by an employer or a close family member.
Existing adjustment of status system remains largely intact
The possibility of applicants being forced to leave the country during processing created uncertainty for thousands of workers and families. In 2024 alone, around 1.4 million Green card approvals were issued, with a significant portion granted through adjustment of status applications filed from within the United States, according to reports.
Last week’s directive was seen by many as a sharp break from that practice because it appeared to suggest that applicants would generally have to complete the process overseas unless they qualified for rare exceptions. Businesses that depend on foreign workers were also concerned about the impact such a change could have on staffing and recruitment.
DHS has now sought to clear up the confusion. A department spokesperson told The New York Times that immigration officers will continue making individual decisions about whether a person must pursue permanent residency from outside the United States. According to the department, this discretion has existed under previous rules and remains in place today.
Officials stress officers still have discretion over applications
The latest clarification marks a notable softening of the message delivered in the earlier announcement. Rather than introducing a blanket requirement, DHS said the existing case-by-case approach will continue to guide decisions involving Green card applicants.
As per reports, Kahler had also later offered additional clarification on who could remain in the country while their applications are reviewed. He said applicants who provide “an economic benefit or otherwise are in the national interest” could be allowed to stay in the United States during processing.
For now, DHS insists that the Green card system remains largely unchanged, with most eligible applicants still able to seek permanent residency through adjustment of status without automatically being required to leave the country. The clarification has eased some of the uncertainty created by the earlier remarks, though the debate has shown how sensitive immigration policy changes remain under the Trump administration.
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Khalid Qasid is a media enthusiast with a strong interest in documentary filmmaking. He holds a Master’s degree in Convergent Journalism from AJK MCRC. He has also written extensively on esports at Sportsdunia. Currently, he covers world and general news at NewsX Digital.
