Trump Green Card Rule 2026: You Must Leave the US to Apply — What H-1B and Student Visa Holders Need to Know Now

# Trump Green Card Rule 2026: You Must Leave the US to Apply — What H-1B and Student Visa Holders Need to Know Now

> **Quick answer:** On May 22, 2026, the Trump administration issued USCIS Policy Memo PM-602-0199 effectively ending the domestic "adjustment of status" pathway for most green card applicants. H-1B workers, F-1 students, L-1 employees, and hundreds of thousands of others on temporary visas must now leave the United States and apply for permanent residency through consular processing at a US embassy abroad. Exceptions exist only for undefined "extraordinary circumstances." No effective date has been announced, and pending I-485 cases are in legal limbo. The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) has announced plans to sue.

*This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a qualified immigration attorney for guidance specific to your situation.*

The Trump administration dropped a bombshell on the US immigration system this week — and if you're on an H-1B, F-1, or virtually any other temporary visa and hoping to get a green card, the ground just shifted dramatically beneath your feet. The rule change announced May 22, 2026 is one of the most significant restructurings of permanent residency law in over 50 years. Here's exactly what changed, who is in the crosshairs, what legal options remain, and — critically — what you should do right now.

## What Changed: The Death of Adjustment of Status

For more than five decades, millions of immigrants in the United States have used a process called **adjustment of status (AOS)** to obtain a green card without ever leaving the country. Under AOS, a qualifying applicant files Form I-485 with USCIS and waits for approval — staying in the US throughout the entire process, maintaining their job, their life, and their family stability.