Most Legal Immigrants Won’t Need to Leave US to Get Green Card: DHS

The policy will not prevent aliens ‘from obtaining a green card who legitimately and properly qualify,’ a Department of Homeland Security official said.

Immigrants await their turn for green card and citizenship interviews at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Long Island City, Queens, in New York City, on May 30, 2013. John Moore/Getty Images

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) clarified a recent policy change that would affect visa and green card holders, following a new policy by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requiring some visa holders and humanitarian parolees to return to their home countries for further processing.

An administration official told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement that the policy shift doesn’t affect people who currently hold green cards, adding that they can continue to live in the United States and travel freely to other countries.