All articles tagged with #green card
An immigration lawyer warns that a memo restricting I-485 approvals to extraordinary circumstances could slow green-card processing for tech workers; visa holders should promptly collect evidence of their economic contributions, work with counsel, and prepare for potential extended waits or litigation as the policy evolves.
A May 21 USCIS memo (PM-602-0199) redefines adjustment of status for green cards as a discretionary process that requires applicants to show “unusual or outstanding equities,” raising the bar for those applying from within the U.S. and potentially affecting about 1 million pending I-485 cases. The shift could push many to seek visas from abroad, but the State Department has halted immigrant visa processing in 75 countries, leaving some applicants with nowhere to go and inviting legal challenges against the policy.
USCIS issued a policy memo that would require many temporary-visa holders to return to their home countries to apply for green cards through embassies or consulates, instead of adjusting status in the United States. The shift, which Ajay Bhutoria says could affect more than 1.2 million Indian-American families, risks heightened scrutiny of employment-based routes (H-1B, H-4, L-1, etc.) and broad discretionary denial of I-485 applications. After backlash, some elements were rolled back and two exemptions—"economic benefit" and "national interest"—were added, but definitions are unclear and applicants may still need to pursue abroad paths depending on circumstances.
Trump’s administration announced tighter rules restricting adjustment-of-status for green cards, allowing it only in extraordinary circumstances and forcing many applicants to remain outside the U.S. while cases are processed. The move drew immediate backlash from lawyers, business leaders, and AI researchers who warn it could disrupt skilled labor, slow American competitiveness in AI, and upend long-standing visa holders, even as proponents frame it as enforcing immigration law. Critics include tech founders, investors, and lawmakers who say the policy risks undermining innovation and the economy.
The United States issued a 30-day rule barring lawful permanent residents who have traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within the last 21 days from entering the U.S., expanding a prior ban that targeted only non-citizens. The policy aims to limit Ebola importation and is paired with expanded screening at Atlanta's airport in addition to existing checks at Dulles. U.S. citizens from the affected countries can still enter, with officials arguing the measure balances public health needs against emergency-resource constraints amid ongoing outbreaks and international risk assessments by WHO and Africa CDC.
The Trump administration unveiled a rule requiring green-card applicants to leave the United States during the application process, a sweeping change that could force hundreds of thousands to leave their jobs and families while their residency requests are processed. The policy, which includes exemptions for extraordinary circumstances, would affect a large share of legal immigration and is expected to face lawsuits as critics argue it would hurt U.S. competitiveness and disrupt communities.
The CDC expanded its Ebola-related entry ban to include lawful permanent residents who have been in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within the last 21 days, with the measure running through mid‑June as part of a response to the Bundibugyo outbreak; it adds to strict screenings at U.S. entry points (including for Americans returning via Dulles) and follows one of the strictest Ebola measures in recent outbreaks, which have generated hundreds of suspected cases and dozens of deaths.
The Trump administration announced a tighter green-card policy that would require many immigrants already in the U.S. to leave and apply from abroad, with adjustment of status allowed only in extraordinary circumstances; however, applications considered to provide an economic benefit or serve the national interest may continue on their current path, assessed case by case, potentially disrupting families and employers awaiting permanent residency.
The DHS and USCIS said that individuals seeking to adjust to a U.S. green card must apply from outside the United States via a U.S. consulate, a policy change critics say will disrupt thousands of applicants, potentially impact mixed-status families, and worsen processing backlogs, with unclear effects on already-pending cases.
The Trump administration unveiled a sweeping rule requiring green-card applicants to depart the United States to complete their permanent-residency visas, a change that could force hundreds of thousands to leave jobs and families during processing. Officials say the policy tightens immigration controls, while critics fear it will hurt the economy and innovation and trigger legal challenges. The rule comes amid broader efforts to curb legal immigration, with about 1.4 million people obtaining lawful permanent residence in FY2024 showing the scale of the program.
The U.S. State Department revoked the lawful permanent resident status of three Iranian nationals—Seyed Eissa Hashemi and his wife and son—citing ties to Iran’s government; Hashemi had obtained residency in 2016 via the Diversity Visa program, which the Trump administration later ended, and the moves reflect a broader effort to revoke green cards from people linked to anti-American regimes, with other related cases reported in recent weeks.
Google plans to increase PERM green card applications in 2026 for eligible employees, after pausing in 2023, with criteria including role requirements and office presence; this move aims to facilitate visa-to-green card transitions amid ongoing immigration policy uncertainties.
A US immigration judge ordered Mahmoud Khalil's deportation to Algeria or Syria due to alleged misrepresentation on his green card application, prompting an appeal from Khalil's lawyers and highlighting ongoing tensions over his pro-Palestinian activism amid broader US immigration enforcement.
An Irish woman with a US green card, Donna Hughes-Brown, faces deportation over a $25 bad cheque from 2015, despite her long residence and community work, raising concerns about immigration enforcement under recent legislation.
The Trump administration has reversed a Biden-era policy that protected children of H-1B visa holders from losing their legal status when they turn 21 while waiting for green cards, potentially affecting around 200,000 young people by requiring them to leave the US if their status is not extended.