Trump Directs Nigerians And Other Foreign Nationals To Process Green Cards From Their Home Countries

According to Ireporter Online, United States President Donald Trump has introduced a new immigration directive requiring Nigerians and other foreign nationals seeking permanent residency in the United States to return to their countries of origin to complete the green card application process.

The policy, announced on Friday by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), will take effect except in cases classified as “extraordinary circumstances.” The agency explained that the move is aimed at restoring what it described as the original intent of U.S. immigration law.

Under the new arrangement, foreign nationals already in the United States who wish to adjust their immigration status will now be required to process their green card applications through U.S. consular offices abroad.

USCIS stated that the adjustment is intended to ensure strict adherence to immigration procedures, noting that applicants must follow the proper legal pathway outside the country. A spokesperson for the agency, Zach Kahler, said the policy is designed to close loopholes in the system and discourage unlawful overstays following visa denials.

He further explained that processing applications from applicants’ home countries would reduce the burden on immigration enforcement agencies and help prevent cases of individuals remaining illegally in the United States after being denied residency.

The agency also clarified that the policy will mainly affect non-immigrant visa holders, including international students, temporary workers, and tourists, stressing that such categories are expected to return home after the completion of their temporary stay.

USCIS added that the revised process would allow it to focus more resources on other immigration duties, including applications involving crime victims, human trafficking survivors, and naturalisation cases.

The directive comes amid wider immigration restrictions under the Trump administration, which previously included reported suspensions of green card and citizenship applications from Nigerians and nationals of several other countries affected by a travel ban.

The latest policy is expected to impact thousands of foreign nationals, including Nigerians, who may now be required to leave the United States to complete their residency applications through American diplomatic missions in their home countries.