The Trump administration announced Friday it would require most foreign nationals seeking permanent U.S. residency to leave the country and apply for green cards at American consulates in their home countries, revamping the legal immigration pathway known as adjustment of status. Exceptions would be granted only in extraordinary circumstances, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said.

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USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler framed the move as a restoration of the immigration system's original design, saying temporary visitors were never intended to use their stays as a first step toward permanent residency. 

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

The Trump administration in January suspended visa processing at all U.S. consulates for nationals of 75 countries, designating them “nationalities at high risk of U.S. public benefits reliance.”