US Green Card policy: All US Green Card applications now under intense scrutiny: What this means

US Green Card policy, US immigration policy: The US has ordered a full re-examination of all Green Card applications after a deadly shooting in Washington DC. New USCIS vetting rules will enforce stricter scrutiny of immigrants, especially from 19 high-risk countries.

Trump, who is known to target Biden and his other political opponents, has repeatedly criticised and been vocal against Biden’s use of autopen to sign official documents during his tenure as president. (Photo: FB@DonaldTrump).

US Green Card policy: The United States will conduct a rigorous reexamination of every Green Card of all foreigners in the nation. The decision comes after the shooting of two National Guards in Washington DC on Wednesday, one of whom succumbed to her gunshot wounds. The shooting was allegedly carried out by an Afghan National, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who had moved to the US in 2021 and had his stay extended.

Director of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Joseph B Edlow said on Thursday: “At the direction of the President of the United States, I have directed a full scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern.”

“My primary responsibility is to ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible,” he added in a statement.

The USCIS said in a statement that the Biden administration had dismantled basic vetting and screening standards over the last four years and had prioritised the rapid resettlement of “aliens from high-risk countries” over the safety of American citizens.

What new vetting standards mean for immigrants

As per the USCIS, all Green Card holders will now be thoroughly scrutinised at the time of approval.

This includes an assessment of where they are coming from and what is their purpose in the United States.

The new policy, effective immediately, will come into force guidance that will authorise USCIS officers to consider country-specific factors as “significant negative factors” when reviewing immigration requests. Applications from a total of 19 countries will particularly be on the immigration officials’ radar. These are Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.

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The US had already stopped processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals on Thursday immediately after the Washington DC attack.

Will this impact existing Green Card holders?

Although President Donald Trump on Thursday called for reassessment of all “aliens” in the US, the official USCIS policy is unlikely to impact the existing green card holders. The new policy will apply to all requests pending or filed on or after November 27, 2025.

Trump on Thursday had said: “We must now reexamine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden, and we must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not belong here or add benefit to our country.”

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