The Trump administration is moving to require many people already living in the United States on temporary visas to leave the country in order to complete their green card applications from abroad, a policy shift that immigration attorneys say could cause significant disruption to families, workplaces, and industries across Seattle and the broader Pacific Northwest.
Under the new guidance, most applicants for permanent residency who are currently living in the US would no longer be permitted to complete the so-called adjustment of status process from inside the country. Officials say exceptions will only be made in what they describe as extraordinary circumstances, a standard that immigration lawyers say is likely to be applied narrowly.
The change could affect a broad range of visa holders who have built lives and careers in the Seattle area, including international students, temporary workers, researchers, physicians, technology employees, business executives, and families who are already partway through the green card application process. Many of those individuals have been living and working legally in the United States for years, in some cases decades, under the expectation that they could complete their path to permanent residency without leaving the country.
Seattle’s economy is particularly exposed to this kind of policy shift. The region is home to a large concentration of skilled immigrant workers employed across the technology, healthcare, research, and academic sectors, many of whom are in various stages of the green card process. Immigration attorneys warn that requiring these individuals to depart the US to continue their applications could mean months of separation from families, gaps in employment, uncertainty about re-entry, and significant disruption to the companies and institutions that depend on their work.
The policy is still being detailed and is expected to face legal challenges as the full scope of the guidance becomes clearer. Attorneys are advising affected visa holders to consult with an immigration lawyer as soon as possible to understand how the changes may apply to their specific situation.
