US Orders Green Card Applicants to Apply From Abroad

African coverage stresses that Nigerians, Kenyans and other Africans, who already face long US visa queues, will be hit especially hard by the new rule. Commentators in Africa blame the Trump administration for targeting migrants from poorer regions and warn that many families could lose their path to permanent stay if they cannot afford repeated travel and legal fees. Some expect African governments to face pressure to support stranded citizens and to seek clearer exemptions for long-term residents.

• •Nigerian and Kenyan migrants in the United States now must travel home to apply for green cards, adding high costs and risk.
• •African applicants already wait months or years for US consular appointments, so the new rule could extend separation from families.
• •The Trump administration is seen as tightening legal immigration channels used heavily by Africans, not just irregular migration routes.
• •African civil society groups are urging their governments to negotiate protections for long-term residents affected by the change.
• •Some African professionals may redirect their migration plans toward Europe or Canada instead of the United States.