Persons on visas in the United States who want to adjust their status to obtain a green card, except under certain circumstances, must now return to their home country and apply, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today.

USCIS, in a statement on its website on Friday, said a new policy memo has been issued reiterating that, consistent with longstanding immigration law and immigration court decisions, aliens seeking adjustment of status must do so through consular processing via the Department of State outside the country.

The department said officers are now 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.