Trump Administration Forces Kenyans Seeking Green Cards to Return Home for Processing
US immigration authorities have ended the ability for most Kenyans on temporary visas to adjust to permanent residency while remaining in America, forcing applicants to return to Kenya for consular processing—a policy sh
Kenyans on temporary visas in the United States seeking permanent residency now face a stark choice: return home to complete the process, or risk abandoning their applications altogether.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services has introduced sweeping changes requiring most non-immigrants to pursue consular processing at US embassies abroad rather than adjusting status domestically. The policy, described by USCIS as treating adjustment of status as "discretionary relief," gives immigration officers broader authority to deny applications and redirect applicants to their countries of origin.
Who is affected
The changes hit Kenyans on student visas, tourist visas, and most work permits particularly hard. Around one million pending applications nationwide are expected to be affected, including many from Kenyan nationals who have built lives, careers, and families in the US while waiting for permanent residency.
Certain visa categories with "dual intent"—including H-1B skilled worker visas—may still qualify for domestic adjustment, though immigration lawyers warn even those routes face heightened scrutiny. Most other applicants, including Kenyans who entered on F-1 student visas or B-1/B-2 visitor permits and later became eligible for green cards through marriage or employment, will be directed back to Nairobi.
The human cost
For Kenyan families, the practical consequences are severe. Applicants who return to Kenya for consular processing face months of separation from spouses and children in the US, along with the loss of work authorization and income. Those who travelled to the US as students must now leave jobs they secured after graduation and re-enter the immigration system from scratch.
Immigration lawyers have advised clients to prepare for more extensive legal documentation and longer processing times at US embassies, which are already strained by backlogs. The US Embassy in Nairobi, which processes immigrant visa interviews for Kenya, is expected to face additional pressure as applicants are funnelled into consular queues.
Policy shift under Trump
The Trump administration has characterised the policy as a return to stricter enforcement of immigration law. Unlike previous administrations that allowed applicants to remain in the US during green card processing, the new approach requires physical departure—effectively resetting the clock for Kenyans who have already spent years in legal limbo.
The change also complicates pathways for Kenyans who entered the US on non-immigrant visas and later married US citizens or secured employment-based sponsorship. Historically, these individuals could file for adjustment of status without leaving the country; now, most will have no choice but to book flights to Nairobi and hope their cases move swiftly through the embassy.
What comes next
Immigration advocates have warned the policy could trigger a wave of abandoned applications, as Kenyans weigh the risks of leaving stable jobs and housing against uncertain timelines abroad. For those already in the US on expiring visas, the pressure is acute: overstaying while waiting for a green card interview could result in multi-year bans from re-entry.
Kenyan applicants are urged to consult immigration attorneys immediately to assess whether they qualify for exemptions or should begin preparing for departure. The US Embassy in Nairobi has not yet issued public guidance on expected wait times for the incoming surge of consular processing cases.
Reporting drawn from Mwakilishi, Daily Nation.
