On May 22, the Trump administration announced that most people on temporary U.S. visas must leave the country and complete green card processing through embassies or consulates. USCIS says the change will make the system “fairer and more efficient,” but critic
For many families living in the U.S. on temporary visas, the sudden math of immigration has changed. On May 22. the Trump administration announced that most temporary visa holders must leave the country and apply abroad for green cards—an abrupt break from a long-available option to pursue permanent residency without departing the United States.
The policy. which arrives as green card processing remains slowed and uncertain. is expected to force thousands of people to go through consular processing overseas to complete the process. USCIS says the move narrows domestic “adjustment of status” into what it describes as an “extraordinary” exception rather than a routine pathway.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued guidance that directs most applicants seeking permanent residency to complete processing through embassies or consulates abroad. rather than adjusting status domestically. Students. temporary workers and visitors already in the U.S.—including people who entered on F-1. H-1B. L-1 and B-1/B-2 visas—will generally no longer be able to transition to permanent residency without first leaving the country.
The shift also lands in a system that has been struggling to keep pace. Backlogs and uncertainty have become a familiar backdrop across the immigration pipeline, and demand for green cards remains high. USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler said the policy would make the system “fairer and more efficient” by discouraging people from remaining in the U.S. after a denial. The Department of Homeland Security described the policy as ending “abuse” of the system.
The effects are not expected to land evenly.
In fiscal year 2023. green cards were issued to people from at least 199 countries. and the most recent publicly available data from the Office of Homeland Security Statistics shows that a relatively small group accounted for a large share of recipients. The top countries of birth for new green card holders in 2023 were: Mexico (about 180. 500). Cuba (roughly 81. 600). India (about 78. 100). the Dominican Republic (approximately 68. 900). China (about 59. 300). the Philippines (roughly 49. 200). Vietnam (approximately 36. 000). Afghanistan (about 30. 300). Brazil (roughly 28. 900). and El Salvador (approximately 26. 200).
Under the new approach. countries that supply the most green card recipients also risk feeling the biggest pressure—because more applicants from those places rely on pathways that may involve adjustment of status. Regional patterns point in the same direction: in 2023. Asia and North America accounted for the largest shares of green card recipients. followed by South America. Europe and Africa.
Even before the policy’s full consequences play out, the pressure points show up in how green card timelines move.
The State Department’s June 2026 Visa Bulletin shows that timelines are shifting at different speeds. including family-based progress and employment-based strain. Spouses and children of green card holders saw wait times move forward by around five months across most countries. bringing thousands closer to approval. On the employment side. Indian applicants saw wait times move backward in two major categories—EB-1 and EB-2—meaning longer delays despite meeting eligibility requirements. Elsewhere, only limited gains appeared, including small steps forward for India and China in EB‑3.
The imbalance matters because the new USCIS policy is likely to push more applicants into the same constrained systems tracked in the visa bulletin. People who once waited inside the U.S. during processing may now have to rely entirely on those timelines, where progress is far from uniform.
Critics argue that the disruption will be immediate, and not just on paper.
Immigration lawyers and former officials warn the requirement to leave the U.S. could ripple through family plans and employer strategies, while adding new uncertainty for applicants. Critics say the existing system helped keep families together and provided continuity for employers sponsoring workers. For many applicants, leaving the U.S. introduces new risks, including visa delays, processing backlogs, and the possibility of being unable to return.
Michael Valverde, a former USCIS official, said the change could disrupt the plans of “hundreds of thousands” of families and businesses. Other critics have warned it could increase uncertainty and costs.
There is also uncertainty about how the policy applies to people with pending applications. USCIS has indicated that some applicants deemed to provide economic or national interest benefits may still be allowed to proceed without leaving the U.S., but decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis.
All of this is unfolding while the overall system is already strained. More than one million legal immigrants are currently waiting for approval. with timelines ranging from months to several years depending on category and country. Consular processing—now expected to handle more cases—also faces existing backlogs.
The May 22 guidance is part of a broader tightening of immigration policy pursued by the administration. targeting both legal and illegal immigration. Recent measures cited by officials include visa pauses affecting dozens of countries and expanded restrictions on entry. The stated goal is to enforce compliance and reduce overstays.
Legal challenges are possible, particularly because the change was issued through agency guidance rather than formal rulemaking. But for now, the policy is already in effect. Immigration officers have been instructed to apply the stricter standard immediately. leaving applicants. families and employers to navigate a system that has become more restrictive virtually overnight.
green card policy USCIS adjustment of status consular processing Visa Bulletin June 2026 temporary visa holders immigration reform backlogs