US issues clarification on latest Green card application process

WASHINGTON: The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has recently clarified that most of the immigrants seeking admission to reside in the country permanently (Green Card) do not have to leave America while their applications are under consideration.

The confusion arose in the last few days because of the media reporting and USCIS announcement, which made many immigrants think that they should temporarily leave the United States to await decisions on their cases.

As reported in the international press, this statement caused many immigrants to assume that there is a new immigration policy. Nevertheless, as stated by the DHS, there have been no recent changes. It has only been noted that USCIS’s announcement served as a reminder about the available discretionary powers used in the examination of individual cases.

Officials added that every application is reviewed separately and decisions are made individually, taking into account all aspects of every particular situation.

At the same time, in cases when a case includes a violation like overstaying the visa period or any other breach of immigration law, a more thorough review will take place. Yet it was stated that such cases are exceptions to the rule.

This came after confusion arose recently following reports from media houses and statements by the United States’ Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), causing many of those awaiting their applications to think they would have to go back home during this time.

In media reports, the announcement received attention because it seemed to constitute a policy change. However, as per the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), it was not a policy but just a reminder of the existing discretionary power given to immigration officers in the review process of each case.

It was noted that the decision-making process for each application was done individually and that the individual circumstances of each applicant were taken into consideration before a decision is made.

However, there are circumstances where additional scrutiny is needed, such as overstaying visa terms or any form of violations of immigration laws, but they only apply in exceptional cases.