US green card memo leaves key questions unanswered: Experts

A POLICY MEMORANDUM issued by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) last week has triggered concern among Indian professionals in the US over the future of employment-based green card applications.

- POULOMI CHATTERJEE

But immigration lawyers and legal experts tracking the development say uncertainty around implementation, rather than immediate enforcement, may emerge as the bigger issue for applicants.

The USCIS memorandum issued on May 22 indicated that temporary visa holders seeking permanent residency may increasingly be required to complete green card processing outside the United States instead of using domestic procedures. The announcement led to concerns across immigrant communities, particularly among Indian professionals working in sectors such as technology and healthcare, many of whom have already spent years navigating employment-based visa and green card queues.