The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) says certain Green Card applicants must apply from their home countries rather than from within the United States. Multiple outlets report that USCIS has introduced or is implementing an initiative that changes where applicants file and process residency applications. A USCIS spokesman, Zach Kahler, is cited as saying the policy is intended to reduce instances where people remain in the US illegally after their residency applications are denied. In that view, moving application steps to outside the US is meant to lessen the need for the government to locate and remove people who “slip into the shadows” and stay after being denied. The articles also note uncertainty about how the change will work in practice, including the procedural details and timelines. Business Standard highlights potential risks for applicants if they are required to travel to US consulates abroad, suggesting some people could face long waits that may last weeks, months or longer, depending on the processing and consular scheduling. The overall reporting agrees on the core change: applicants are expected to apply from their home countries under the USCIS initiative, with the stated aim of reducing illegal overstays after denials.