Ajay Jain Bhutoria, a prominent Indian-American community leader and former Advisory Commissioner to President Joe Biden, has expressed strong opposition to a new policy from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that requires foreign nationals on temporary visas to return to their home countries to apply for Green Cards. He labels the directive, USCIS Memo PM-602-0199, as a 'backdoor ban' that could have devastating effects on families and the tech industry. Under this policy, which takes effect on May 22, 2026, foreign nationals will only be able to adjust their status domestically under 'extraordinary circumstances.' Bhutoria argues that this change will create significant instability for skilled professionals who contribute to the U.S. economy, as they will be forced to uproot their lives and navigate lengthy consular processes abroad.

He warns that the memo grants officers excessive discretion to deny applications, even when all requirements are met. The policy particularly affects Indian professionals already facing multi-decade Green Card backlogs, exacerbating their uncertainty and separation from families. The Department of Homeland Security defends the policy as a means to enhance efficiency and fairness in processing immigration cases, but Bhutoria urges the community to unite against this directive, emphasizing its potential to disrupt corporate stability and tear families apart.