What are the new procedures for obtaining a US green card?

On May 30, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirmed that the majority of applicants for permanent resident cards (green cards) will not have to leave the United States while their applications are being processed.

Migrants cross the Rio Bravo River from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, to enter the United States. Photo: THX/VNA

According to a statement from the DHS, cited by a TTXVN correspondent in Washington, the previous announcement by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which mentioned the possibility of applicants having to return to their country of origin to complete the procedure except in exceptional cases, was not a widespread policy change as many people feared.

According to a DHS spokesperson, this is simply a reiteration of the immigration officials' inherent authority to review each case individually. The decision to require applicants to complete procedures overseas or to continue processing their cases in the U.S. will still be made on a case-by-case basis.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) clarified the issue after immigration lawyers, the business community, and many applicants expressed concerns that the new regulations could disrupt the adjustment of status process, which is widely implemented in the U.S. The DHS emphasized that the majority of applicants can still complete the process from within the United States. However, the agency has not yet released specific criteria for cases that might require individuals to leave the U.S. to complete their applications.

According to federal sources, certain groups may be subject to closer scrutiny, including those overstaying their visas or coming from countries with high rates of public assistance use. However, no official regulations have yet been issued.

Immigration experts and lawyers argue that the lack of specific guidance is leading to differing applications among immigration offices, making it difficult to provide legal advice and human resource planning for businesses employing foreign workers.

American businesses have also expressed concerns that inconsistencies in implementation could create additional risks and instability for immigrant workers and employers in the future.

Source: https://znews.vn/thu-tuc-the-xanh-moi-cua-my-co-gi-post1655759.html