The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has moved to downplay concerns over a recent policy directive that initially suggested most immigrants would need to leave the United States to obtain a green card. The agency stated on Friday that the new directive will not prevent individuals who legitimately qualify from obtaining permanent residency.

Earlier this month, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy directive that immigrant advocates and lawyers feared would require temporary visa holders and humanitarian parolees already in the U.S. to return to their home countries to complete their green card applications. This directive was presented as a sweeping policy change.

However, DHS clarified that the policy's impact is more nuanced. The agency indicated that the directive will primarily affect those "aliens who do not merit the discretionary benefit" of applying from within the U.S., requiring them to apply through the Department of State overseas. The policy is not intended to block those who properly qualify for a green card.

Existing green card holders are unaffected by the new directive and will continue to reside and travel within the U.S. freely. The policy memo, issued on May 22 by USCIS as part of the Trump administration's immigration enforcement efforts, had initially instructed officers to treat U.S.-based adjustment of status applications as an extraordinary form of relief.

The initial interpretation of the memo sparked significant concern among immigrant advocates and legal professionals. They had warned that the policy could impact hundreds of thousands of individuals, particularly those on temporary work visas who were in the process of seeking permanent residency from within the United States.

The directive was part of broader immigration enforcement measures. The Trump administration had previously issued directives aimed at tightening immigration rules and increasing the requirements for various immigration benefits.

Immigrant advocates and lawyers expressed worries that the policy could create significant logistical and financial burdens for individuals, potentially forcing them to abandon their applications or face prolonged separations from families and employment.

USCIS has not yet provided further details on how the distinction will be made between those who can apply from within the U.S. and those who must apply from abroad, leaving some questions about the practical implementation of the policy unanswered.