US Says Nigerians, Others Seeking Green Cards Must Return Home to Apply
US Says Nigerians, Others Seeking Green Cards Must Return Home to Apply
The United States government may soon require Nigerians and other foreign nationals already living in the country on temporary visas to return to their home countries before applying for permanent residency, also known as a Green Card.
The announcement was made by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which said the move is aimed at restoring the “original intent” of American immigration laws.
According to USCIS, temporary visas are meant for short-term visits tied to specific purposes such as tourism, study, or temporary work, and should not automatically become pathways to permanent residency from within the US.
“The system is designed for them to leave when their visit is over. Their visit should not function as the first step in the Green Card process.”
The agency also stated: “Following the law allows the majority of these cases to be handled by the State Department at US consular offices abroad and frees up limited USCIS resources to focus on processing other cases that fall under its purview, including visas for victims of violent crime and human trafficking, naturalisation applications, and other priorities.”
It further added: “The law was written this way for a reason, and even though it has flaws, following it will help make our system fairer and more efficient.”
If implemented, the policy would affect thousands of Nigerians currently residing in the US on student, tourist, exchange, and work visas, requiring them to return to Nigeria to complete their Green Card applications through US consular offices.
The development is part of a broader immigration crackdown under the administration of United States President .
The proposed directive follows earlier visa restrictions imposed on Nigeria and 14 other countries over security and vetting concerns. Those measures mainly targeted individuals seeking entry into the US, while the new policy could directly affect non-immigrants already living in the country.
USCIS also said processing more applications abroad would allow the agency focus its limited resources on other immigration priorities, including naturalisation applications and visas for victims of violent crimes and human trafficking.
The United States remains one of the top destinations for Nigerian migrants. Data from the US Census Bureau estimates that between 460,000 and 500,000 Nigerians currently live in the country, making Nigerians one of the largest African immigrant populations.
Immigration observers say the proposed rule could make the process of obtaining permanent residency more difficult and time-consuming for many foreign nationals who previously relied on adjusting their status from within the US.
