The Trump administration will now require people seeking green cards to leave the United States during the application process — a sweeping change that could upend the lives of hundreds of thousands of people seeking the right to legally and permanently live and work in the US.

In a new rule announced Friday, US immigration authorities said green card applicants would have to return to their home countries to apply for permanent visas.

The abrupt policy change stands to affect a large swath of the legal US immigration population, compelling those seeking legal permanent residency to leave the country — separating families, forcing people to leave their jobs and disrupting communities in the process. Applying for a green card is a notoriously arduous process that can take several months to years to complete.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services said the rule provides exemptions for “extraordinary circumstances,” Zach Kahler, a spokesperson for the agency, said in a statement.

“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 US illegally after being denied residency,” Kahler said.

About 1.4 million people obtained lawful permanent residence in fiscal year 2024, according to public Department of Homeland Security data.

The new rule is likely to face legal challenges. Since being announced Friday, it has already faced a torrent of criticism from attorneys, lawmakers and immigration advocates.

Rep. Delia C. Ramirez, an Illinois Democrat, said on X the policy is “beyond cruel” and called for the dismantling of DHS “piece by piece.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said on X the new policy “betrays the very promise that built this country.”

“Trump just made legal immigration harder — on purpose,” Rep. Greg Stanton, an Arizona Democrat, said on X. “America is able to attract the top researchers, doctors, & engineers because of our worker visa programs.”

Democrat Rep. Ted Lieu of California called it a “stupid” policy that “will help competitors such as China and Russia.”

David J. Bier, the director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, described the policy as “illogical” in a blog post laying out potential far-reaching and cascading impacts of the rule.

“It will drive talented people to other countries and make America a less competitive place for business,” Bier wrote.

While cracking down on illegal immigration has been a top priority for the Trump administration, the new rule represents just the latest example of how the administration is also attempting to curb legal forms of immigration.

The administration has made efforts to significantly reduce asylum claims; ended the temporary protected status for several countries, which allowed those fleeing natural disasters, wars or other dangerous conditions to live in the US without fear of being deported; halted refugee admissions except for White South Africans; and restricted work and student visas.

Following last year’s shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington, DC, the administration announced it was reexamining all green cards issued to people from 19 countries “of concern.”

However, the alleged perpetrator of that shooting, an Afghan national, applied for asylum — a different process than the green card applications process — in 2021, and it was granted in 2025.

This story has been updated with additional details.