Former US President Donald Trump has stated that if re-elected, he will automatically award green cards to foreign graduates of US institutions.

This marks an unexpected turnaround from the Republican renowned for his stern stance on immigration.

During a podcast interview with Silicon Valley tech investors on Thursday, Trump vowed to ease the process of brinftging in talent to the US, claiming that anyone who graduates from a US institution should be able to stay in the country after graduation.

While talking on the All-In Podcast, hosted by Chamath Palihapitiya, Jason Calacanis, David Sacks, and David Friedberg, Trump said, “It’s so sad when we lose people from Harvard, MIT, the greatest schools, and lesser schools that are phenomenal schools also.

“I think you should get, automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country and that includes junior colleges, too.”

A green card allows people to live and work permanently in the United States, with the possibility of becoming citizens.

Trump's plan, which may result in a substantial surge of hundreds of thousands of citizenship applications each year, marks an unexpected shift from his formerly strict position on immigration, which defined his electoral rise in the Republican Party.

Trump, who has previously made incendiary statements about migrants, has promised to deport the highest number of undocumented immigrants in US history if he wins the November election.

He has consistently criticised his Democratic opponent, President Joe Biden, for being lenient on immigration.

At a campaign rally in Wisconsin on Tuesday, Trump slammed a new programme announced by Biden that allows undocumented spouses of US citizens to apply for permanent status without leaving the country.

Trump said, “Our country is under invasion. We should not be talking amnesty, we should be talking about stopping the invasion instead.”