The United States has tightened the rules for issuing a green card – a residence permit with the right to work in the country. Currently, foreign nationals can only apply outside the United States, the Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said.
According to the press release, an alien who is temporarily in the U.S. and wants a green card must return to his or her home country to apply, except in “extraordinary circumstances.”
“When foreigners apply from their home country, it reduces the need to search for and deport those who choose to go into the shadows and remain in the U.S. illegally after being denied residency,” USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler said.
He added that students, temporary workers or tourists coming to the US for a short period of time should not consider their visit as the first step in the green card process.
Former USCIS official Doug Rand told NBC News that about a million people apply for a green card each year – half of them do so within the United States.