The United States government has announced a major immigration policy change that could significantly affect Ghanaians currently living in the US on temporary visas and hoping to obtain green cards.
Under the new directive by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), most immigrants seeking permanent residency will now be required to leave the United States and complete their green card applications at a US embassy or consulate abroad, mainly in their home countries.
This means that many Ghanaians in the US on student visas, visitor visas, or temporary work permits may no longer be able to apply for a green card while remaining in America, except under what the US government describes as “extraordinary circumstances.”
The policy, announced on Friday, forms part of President Donald Trump’s administration’s intensified efforts to tighten immigration controls and reduce illegal immigration.
Previously, many immigrants were able to apply for permanent residency through a process known as “adjustment of status,” which allowed them to remain in the US while their applications were processed.
However, the new rules are expected to force many applicants, including Ghanaians, to return home and continue the process through the US Embassy in Accra or another American diplomatic mission abroad.
USCIS said the move would help reduce cases where individuals remain in the US illegally after their applications are denied.
“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 US illegally after being denied residency,” the agency stated.
For many Ghanaians, the policy could create uncertainty, especially for families who have already established lives in the US while waiting for green card approvals.
Immigration experts warn that some applicants who leave the US for consular processing could face delays, visa denials, or difficulties returning to America, particularly if their temporary visas expire during the process.
USCIS spokesperson Zach Kahler defended the policy, saying temporary visits to the US “should not function as the first step in the green card process.”
“From now on, an alien who is in the US temporarily and wants a green card must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances,” he said.
It is still unclear whether Ghanaians and other immigrants with pending adjustment-of-status applications will be allowed to continue under the old system.
A USCIS spokesperson told the BBC that applicants whose cases are considered economically beneficial to the US or in the national interest may still be permitted to continue their applications from within the country.
The green card process can take several months or even years. According to the Cato Institute, more than one million legal immigrants are currently waiting for decisions on their adjustment-of-status applications.
Critics argue that the policy could disrupt families, employers, and students who relied on the previous system.
Michael Valverde, a former senior USCIS official, described the move as “largely unprecedented” and warned that it would create “tremendous uncertainty” for immigrants who had complied with existing immigration procedures.
The latest policy adds to a series of immigration restrictions introduced by the Trump administration, including visa limitations affecting citizens from dozens of countries.
Under US immigration law, people who overstay their visas risk deportation, future visa ineligibility, and re-entry bans that can last up to 10 years.
