Trump Shakes Up U.S. Immigration: Nigerians Must Now Return Home to Apply for Green Cards

In a sweeping policy shift that has sent shockwaves through immigrant communities, U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered Nigerians and other foreign nationals seeking permanent residency to leave America and complete their green card applications from their home countries.

The new directive, announced on Friday by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), takes effect immediately except in rare cases described as “extraordinary circumstances.”

According to the agency, the move is designed to restore what it calls the “original framework” of U.S. immigration law.

No More Status Adjustments from Within the U.S.

Under the new rule, foreign nationals who entered the U.S. on temporary visas including international students, temporary workers, and tourists can no longer adjust their immigration status from inside the country.

Instead, they must return to their countries of origin and process their residency applications through American consular offices abroad.

USCIS stated, “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.”

Cracking Down on Loopholes

Agency spokesman Zach Kahler explained that the policy aims to prevent abuse of the immigration system and discourage unlawful stays.

“This policy allows our immigration system to function as the law intended instead of incentivising loopholes,” Kahler said. “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.”

USCIS also noted that shifting green card processing overseas would free up resources to focus on cases involving victims of violent crimes, human trafficking survivors, and naturalisation requests.

Students, Workers, and Tourists Hit Hardest

The directive primarily affects non-immigrant visa holders people who entered the U.S. for a specific, temporary purpose.

“Their visit should not function as the first step in the Green Card process,” the agency emphasized.

This latest move follows a series of immigration restrictions under the Trump administration.

In December 2025, the administration reportedly suspended green card and citizenship applications from Nigerians and nationals of several other countries affected by a U.S. travel ban. That suspension targeted legal applicants from selected African and Asian nations many of whom were already lawfully residing in the U.S.

With this new policy, thousands of prospective immigrants, including many Nigerians, now face a difficult choice: return home to complete the lengthy green card process through U.S. embassies, or abandon their residency dreams altogether.