The United States government has announced a sweeping change to its green card application process, requiring most immigrants seeking permanent residency to leave the country and apply through a US embassy or consulate in their home nation rather than adjusting their status from within the United States.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced on Friday that people seeking a change in immigration status must now do so through consular processing outside the country except in extraordinary circumstances. The policy closes a longstanding pathway that had allowed visa holders, including students, temporary workers, and tourists, to apply for a green card without departing the US during what can be a lengthy application process that takes months to several years.

USCIS stated that requiring applicants to apply from their home country reduces the likelihood of individuals slipping into undocumented status after being denied residency. Department of Homeland Security officials described the change as ending the abuse of the immigration system and returning to what they called the original intent of the law.

USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler said the policy would allow the immigration system to function as the law intended and that temporary visits to the US should not serve as the first step in the green card process. He added that freeing up USCIS resources would allow the agency to focus on other categories including visas for victims of violent crime, human trafficking, and naturalisation applications.

Critics, however, have raised serious concerns. Former senior USCIS official Michael Valverde, who served under both Republican and Democratic administrations, told CBS that the announcement would disrupt the plans of hundreds of thousands of families and employers annually, describing the move as largely unprecedented and warning that people who followed the rules faithfully now face tremendous uncertainty. More than one million legal immigrants currently have pending adjustment-of-status applications, according to the Cato Institute.

It remains unclear whether those pending applications will be affected. A USCIS spokesperson told the BBC that applicants providing an economic benefit or acting in the national interest would likely be able to continue on their current path, while others may be directed to apply abroad depending on individual circumstances. The Trump administration has also instated entry bans or restrictions on citizens from nearly 40 countries and separately paused visa issuance to applicants from 75 countries earlier this year.

For the sizeable Guyanese diaspora in the United States, this policy shift carries direct and immediate implications. Thousands of Guyanese nationals living in the US on temporary work visas, student visas, or visitor status who had been navigating the green card process from within the country now face the prospect of having to leave, a journey that for some could trigger re-entry complications, particularly if their current visa status has any irregularities.

Guyana does not appear on the current list of countries subject to full entry bans, but the broader tightening of immigration enforcement under the Trump administration has already created anxiety within diaspora communities. Guyanese holding H-1B or other temporary work authorisations who are mid-process in green card applications should urgently seek legal counsel before taking any steps that could be interpreted as abandoning a pending application or triggering inadmissibility grounds.

The wider consequence for Guyana is also worth noting. The country has long relied on remittances from the diaspora as a significant source of household income, and any policy that disrupts the legal status of Guyanese nationals in the US introduces economic uncertainty that flows back directly to families here. The government of Guyana has so far made no public statement on the change, and it is reasonable to ask whether the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is actively monitoring the situation and preparing guidance for nationals who may be affected.

SOURCE: BBC News, “Most people seeking green cards must now apply from outside US,” May 23, 2026