India, May 31 -- The US has clarified that not all immigrants seeking green cards will be required to return to their home country to make such applications.

The statement from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Friday appeared to be a partial walk-back on the announcement by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services stating the individuals seeking permanent residency would have to return to their home countries to await their green cards.

"This was just a reminder to officers of their discretionary authority, which has always existed on a case-by-case basis," a DHS spokesperson said in a statement to The New York Times.

The DHS said the USCIS memo of May 22 was not a blanket change and that it would be up to individual ...