Foreigners seeking permanent residency in the US will now have to leave the country to apply for green cards, a change with potentially far-reaching ramifications for legal immigration amid President Donald Trump’s sweeping crackdown.

H-1B visa holders may feel relieved after US authorities confirmed that a policy introduced by the Trump administration last week will not impact their green card plans.

“I thought sending my son to the U.S. would help him become financially independent and also help us clear the debts we accumulated for his education. But the situation now is frightening,” he says.