USCIS Announces Nationwide Pause on Asylum and Immigration Decisions: What You Need to Know Now
The past week brought major shifts in immigration policy. Following the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, DC, federal agencies issued sweeping restrictions that affect asylum seekers and many applicants with pending immigration cases. These changes are already in effect and contain no end date.
Below is a clear breakdown of what has been announced and how it may affect your case.
All Asylum Decisions Are Paused Nationwide
USCIS has ordered an immediate hold on all decisions for asylum applications. This includes approvals, denials, and closures of cases. Interviews that were already scheduled are still taking place for now, but no decisions will be issued afterward. There is no guidance on how long this stoppage will last or whether new interviews will continue to be scheduled.
Separately, USCIS issued an agency wide directive placing a hold on all Forms I-589 for every nationality. This applies even to applicants who are not from the newly identified travel ban countries.
USCIS Places a Hold on All Immigration Benefits for Nationals of 19 High Risk Countries
USCIS has paused final decisions on every form type for nationals of 19 countries listed in Presidential Proclamation 10949. This includes adjustment of status, employment authorization, extensions of status, changes of status, naturalization, and other immigration benefits. Naturalization oath ceremonies are also being canceled.
The list includes:
Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela.
Applicants from these countries should expect delays even if they also hold citizenship from another country.
USCIS Will Re Review Prior Approved Cases for Nationals of the 19 Countries
USCIS may also extend this review to individuals who entered the country before that date.
Afghan Nationals Face Additional Restrictions
The administration has ordered an indefinite halt to all immigration processing related to Afghan nationals. This includes filings, adjudications, and visa issuance through the Department of State. There is no guidance yet on how these re examinations will be conducted or what standards will apply. Practice Alert- Sweeping Immigr…
What This Means for Pending Applications
If you are from one of the 19 listed countries, or if you have a pending asylum application regardless of nationality, expect delays. You may still attend interviews already on the calendar, but the government will not issue a final decision until new vetting procedures are implemented.
If you are naturalizing and scheduled for an oath ceremony, it may be canceled even if you already completed every step of the process.
If you have a green card case pending, the file may be placed on hold or reassessed under stricter standards.
What You Should Do Now
- Continue attending all scheduled appointments. Failure to appear can harm your case even when USCIS is not issuing decisions.
- Do not travel internationally without speaking to an attorney. Travel in the middle of a national security pause carries serious risks.
- Monitor your USCIS account and mail closely. Many applicants are receiving cancellation notices with no advance warning.
- Speak with an attorney if you receive any request for additional evidence, interview notice, or cancellation notice.