Trump Orders Nigerians, Other Green Card Applicants to Apply From Home Countries
Last update: May 23, 2026
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Planning to adjust your status and get a US Green Card from inside America? Trump just shut that door. Nigerians and others must now go back home to apply, unless it’s an “extraordinary” case.
Big change out of Washington, and it’s going to affect a lot of Nigerians. US President Donald Trump has ordered that Nigerians and other foreign nationals applying for green cards must now return to their home countries to do it. The only exception? “Extraordinary circumstances”.
The new directive dropped on Friday, according to a press statement from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). USCIS says the move is about getting back to the “original intent” of US immigration law.
In practice, that means if you’re in the US temporarily and want a green card, you can no longer file for adjustment of status while staying there. You’ll have to go back home and apply through a US consular office, overseen by the State Department.
Here’s the exact line from USCIS: “We’re returning to the original intent of the law to ensure aliens navigate our nation’s immigration system properly. From now on, an alien who is in the U.S. temporarily and wants a Green Card must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances.”
So why the change? USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler said it’s to close loopholes and stop people from staying in the US illegally after their residency applications get denied. "This policy allows our immigration system to function as the law intended instead of incentivising loopholes. When aliens apply from their home country, it reduces the need to find and remove those who decide to slip into the shadows and remain in the U.S. illegally after being denied residency,” Kahler explained.
Bottom line: if you’re Nigerian and hoping to adjust status from within the US, that route is basically off the table now. You’ll need to head home first.
Source: cbinews.tv
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