[US 뉴스] 트럼프, ‘합법 이민’ 조인다···이민국 "미국 내 영주권 신청 제한, 본국 귀국 원칙"



안녕하세요, US 이민법인 입니다.

최근 미국 유학 및 취업 비자 발급 환경이

전반적으로 까다로워지고 있는 가운데,

미국 내 영주권 취득 절차 역시 대폭 강화될 것이라는

보도가 이어지고 있습니다.





특히 미국 이민국(USCIS)이 발표한 새로운 정책 지침에 따르면,

앞으로 미국 내에서 거주하며 영주권을 신청하는

신분 조정(Adjustment of Status, I-485)절차가

원칙적으로 제한될 전망입니다.

그동안은 H-1B 전문직 취업비자 등으로

미국에 합법 체류하면서 영주권을 신청해

신분을 바꾸는 케이스가 많았습니다.

하지만 앞으로는

특별한 상황(Extraordinary circumstances)이 아닌 한,

본국으로 돌아가 해외 미국 대사관을 통한

영주권 수속(Consular Processing)을 진행해야 합니다.





이민국(USCIS)은

"학생, 임시 근로자, 관광 비자 소지자는 단기간 특정 목적을 위해 입국하는 것"이라며,

"미국 체류가 영주권 취득의 첫 단계처럼 여겨져서는 안 된다"고

규제 강화의 명분을 명확히 했습니다.

---





[이민뉴스]

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Will Grant ‘Adjustment of Status’ Only in

Extraordinary Circumstances

ㅣ 2026. 05. 22 ㅣ USCIS 공식 보도자료 ㅣ

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced a new policy memo reiterating the fact that, consistent with long-standing immigration law and immigration court decisions, aliens seeking adjustment of status must do so through consular processing via the Department of State outside of the country. Officers are directed to consider all relevant factors and information on a case-by-case basis when determining whether an alien warrants this extraordinary form of relief.

“We’re returning to the original intent of the law to ensure aliens navigate our nation’s immigration system properly. From now on, an alien who is in the U.S. temporarily and wants a Green Card must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances. This policy allows our immigration system to function as the law intended instead of incentivizing loopholes. When aliens apply from their home country, it reduces the need to find and remove those who decide to slip into the shadows and remain in the U.S. illegally after being denied residency,” said USCIS Spokesman Zach Kahler.

“Nonimmigrants, like students, temporary workers, or people on tourist visas, come to the U.S. for a short time and for a specific purpose. Our system is designed for them to leave when their visit is over. Their visit should not function as the first step in the Green Card process. Following the law allows the majority of these cases to be handled by the State Department at U.S. consular offices abroad and frees up limited USCIS resources to focus on processing other cases that fall under its purview, including visas for victims of violent crime and human trafficking, naturalization applications, and other priorities. The law was written this way for a reason, and despite the fact that it has been ignored for years, following it will help make our system fairer and more efficient.”



USCIS 공식 보도자료 보러가기 [Click!]