The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a new policy requiring foreign nationals currently residing in the US to return to their home countries to apply for permanent residency or green cards. The directive was issued in a policy memorandum released on Friday, according to the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees USCIS.

The department stated that the change aims to close loopholes in the immigration system and improve the agency’s capacity to process other applications more efficiently. It added that possible exemptions under special circumstances are still under consideration.

Human rights and refugee assistance organizations have criticized the decision. The nonprofit HIAS warned that the rule could force victims of human trafficking, abused women, and at-risk children to return to countries they fled to save their lives. The policy shift is viewed as part of President Donald Trump’s broader effort to tighten US immigration rules, following earlier steps to shorten visa durations and cancel over 100,000 visas since he took office.