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Washington — The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued a policy memorandum on Friday requiring most temporary visa holders and humanitarian parolees who are living in the United States to return to their home countries and complete green card applications through consular processing abroad. The directive generally ends the practice of allowing adjustment of status inside the U.S., limiting in-country processing to 'extraordinary circumstances,' USCIS said. "We're returning to the original intent of the law to ensure aliens navigate our nation's immigration system properly," USCIS spokesperson Zach Kahler said in a statement. USCIS said the change affects a wide range of people, including students, tourists, temporary workers, refugees, asylum seekers and those married to U.S. citizens, and directed officers to assess exceptions on a case-by-case basis. Aid groups and immigration lawyers expressed concern about travel burdens and the likelihood of legal challenges in response to the memorandum.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.