Alaska residents applying for a green card will, in most cases, now have to leave the country to complete the process.

Most people in Alaska applying for a green card will now need to complete that process at a U.S. embassy or consulate in another country, under a federal policy change announced May 22, 2026.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said the in-country path many applicants have used — known as adjustment of status — should now be reserved for unusual cases. The agency says the original and standard route under U.S. immigration law is to apply through a U.S. consulate abroad, and the new guidance puts that back as the default. Exceptions can be granted case by case. USCIS said applicants whose stay benefits the U.S. economically or serves a national interest are more likely to qualify, and some work-visa categories like H-1B and L-1 are expected to be less affected.

For Alaska, the practical picture is shaped by geography. There is no USCIS office anywhere in the state, and no foreign embassy or consulate either. Applicants already travel to Seattle for routine immigration appointments; under the new rule, the consular step would happen overseas, usually in the country a person is from. For families, employers, and workers, that can mean longer time apart and higher travel and legal costs.

The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development's Office of Citizenship Assistance is urging anyone with a pending or planned green card application to speak with an immigration attorney as soon as possible. The office maintains a list of Alaska immigration attorneys at oca.alaska.gov.