The Trump administration has moved to tighten requirements for immigrants seeking lawful permanent residency by directing many applicants currently in the United States to complete their green card applications from abroad rather than through the domestic adjustment-of-status process. The policy, announced by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, would apply to many individuals who entered the country without visas or who no longer qualify for in-country processing under revised standards.

The new rule would expand the use of consular processing, requiring applicants to leave the United States and attend interviews and complete paperwork at U.S. embassies or consulates in their countries of origin. Immigration officials said the measure is intended to reinforce existing immigration law and ensure that permanent residency applications are processed through what the administration describes as more secure and consistent procedures.

Immigration attorneys and advocacy groups said the policy could create significant disruptions for families and workers who have built lives in the United States while awaiting legal status decisions. In many cases, applicants who leave the country could face lengthy reentry bars under federal immigration law, potentially preventing them from returning for years unless they receive waivers. Critics also warned the rule may increase backlogs at overseas consulates that already face heavy demand.

Visa applicants stand outside a U.S. consulate as the administration expands overseas processing requirements for some green card seekers.