Key points
- United States President Donald Trump has directed Nigerians and other foreign nationals applying for green cards to return to their home countries to complete the process.
- The new immigration policy affects temporary visa holders, including students, tourists, and workers already residing in the United States.
- The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) says the measure is intended to restore the “original intent” of American immigration law.
- Under the policy, residency applications will now be processed primarily through US consular offices abroad.
- The development comes months after reports that green card and citizenship applications involving Nigerians and nationals of some countries were temporarily suspended.
Main story
The administration of United States President Donald Trump has introduced a new immigration directive requiring Nigerians and other foreign nationals applying for permanent residency to return to their home countries to complete the green card process, except under extraordinary circumstances.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, which said the policy was designed to restore what it described as the “original intent” of US immigration law.
According to the agency, applicants seeking adjustment of status will now be required to process their residency applications through US consular offices overseas under the supervision of the United States Department of State.
The directive is expected to significantly affect nonimmigrant visa holders already living in the United States, including students, temporary workers, and tourists who may have intended to transition into permanent residency while remaining in the country.
US immigration authorities argued that the revised process would allow the agency to better manage its workload and concentrate resources on other categories of immigration services.
The issues
The new policy marks a major shift for immigrants who traditionally relied on adjustment-of-status procedures while already residing in the United States.
Critics are expected to raise concerns about the financial and logistical burden the policy may place on applicants forced to leave the US to continue their residency process abroad.
The development also revives concerns among affected nationals following previous immigration restrictions introduced during the Trump administration, particularly those involving African and Asian countries.
In December 2025, reports emerged that the processing of certain green card and citizenship applications involving Nigerians and nationals from countries linked to US travel restrictions had been temporarily halted.
Immigration experts say the latest directive could reshape how temporary visa holders approach long-term residency plans in the United States.
What’s being said
“Nonimmigrants, like students, temporary workers, or people on tourist visas, come to the U.S. for a short time and for a specific purpose. Our 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.”
— United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
“The law was written this way for a reason, and despite the fact that it has been ignored for years, following it will help make our system fairer and more efficient.”
— United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
What’s next
The policy is expected to affect future adjustment-of-status applications involving temporary visa holders from Nigeria and other countries.
Immigration lawyers and affected applicants are likely to seek clarification on what qualifies as “extraordinary circumstances” under the new directive.
Further guidance from US immigration authorities and diplomatic missions is also expected regarding implementation timelines and exceptions.
Bottom line
The Trump administration’s latest immigration directive signals a tougher approach to green card processing, potentially making it more difficult for Nigerians and other foreign nationals already living in the United States to transition from temporary visas to permanent residency without returning home.
