The Trump administration will require most immigrants seeking green cards to leave the United States before they can obtain permanent residency, CBS News reports, upending one of the most common pathways to lawful permanent residence for people already living in the country.

The directive reverses long-standing practice, under which many applicants could adjust their status to permanent resident without departing the U.S. Under the new requirement, most applicants must exit the country first and complete the green card process from abroad — a step that carries practical risks for applicants, including potential bars on re-entry depending on their immigration history.

Who does the new requirement affect?

The change targets immigrants who are physically present in the United States and who previously could pursue adjustment of status domestically. Under the new approach, most of these applicants must now:

• Leave the United States before receiving a green card
• Complete consular processing of their application from outside the country
• Await a decision abroad before returning as a permanent resident

The administration has framed the move as part of a broader effort to tighten immigration enforcement and restrict pathways that allow migrants to remain in the U.S. while their cases are decided.

What does the rule change in practice?

For years, applicants with qualifying family or employment petitions could file for adjustment of status from within the United States. That route allowed them to stay with families and keep working while immigration authorities processed their cases.

The new requirement forces a structural change to that sequence: the departure comes first, the green card decision second. Applicants who leave may face prolonged separation from family and employers, and those with prior periods of unlawful presence could trigger legal barriers to returning — a consequence attorneys have long warned about when advising clients on travel during pending cases.

Immigration advocates argue the policy effectively punishes people who followed lawful petition processes, while administration officials contend it restores integrity to a system they say rewarded those who arrived or stayed improperly.

Why does the departure-first rule matter?

Requiring departure before a green card is issued shifts risk onto the applicant. A person who leaves while a case is pending may be unable to return for years if the application is delayed, denied or complicated by prior immigration violations.

The policy also creates logistical pressure on consular posts abroad, which would absorb additional caseloads as applicants move from the domestic adjustment system to overseas processing.

What should affected applicants watch?

CBS News reports the change as a directive from the administration, and implementation details — including which categories of applicants receive exemptions and how the requirement applies to pending cases — will determine its real-world reach.

Readers should monitor announcements from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the State Department for binding guidance. Anyone with a pending or planned green card application should verify current requirements with an accredited immigration attorney or official government sources before making travel decisions, since departing the U.S. can carry case-specific consequences.

Passport File will continue to track this policy as official implementing guidance is published.