Story perspectives

USCIS Memo Forces Green Card Filings Abroad, Cuts 1.4 M Issuances

5/27/2026

Summary

Story summary

USCIS issued a memo, the first change in six decades, requiring green-card applicants to file from home.
Senator Ed Markey called the policy morally indefensible and warned of swift legal challenges.
Immigrants from banned countries such as Iran may be forced abroad indefinitely, risking family separation.
Officials say the rule could cut the annual 1.4 million green cards, especially the 820,000 for applicants in the United States.

History

Historical Context

On Oct 3 1965 President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Immigration and Nationality Act, ending the National Origins quota and imposing a 120,000-per-year limit on Western-Hemisphere admissions. The law shifted U.S. immigration toward family reunification and increased Asian and African arrivals, reshaping the demographic mix. In 2024 USCIS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas issued a memo requiring green-card applicants to file abroad, echoing the act’s move toward tighter geographic controls.

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Story summary

USCIS issued a memo, the first change in six decades, requiring green-card applicants to file from home.
Senator Ed Markey called the policy morally indefensible and warned of swift legal challenges.
Immigrants from banned countries such as Iran may be forced abroad indefinitely, risking family separation.
Officials say the rule could cut the annual 1.4 million green cards, especially the 820,000 for applicants in the United States.

1 / 2