US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that most immigrants seeking a green card must now apply through consular processing outside the United States, closing a longstanding option that allowed visa holders and visitors to adjust status while remaining in the country. Critics say the previous system let families stay together during the lengthy application process, and the new rule could make it difficult or impossible for some applicants who leave the country to return. More than a million people currently have pending adjustment-of-status green card applications, according to the Cato Institute.