New USCIS Policies Impacting Asylum Applicants, Refugees, and People from “High-Risk” Countries
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has implemented new policies that will significantly impact the processing of various immigration applications, including pausing processing of certain benefit requests and ordering the re-review and potential reprocessing of previously approved applications. The new policies will likely cause processing delays not only for these specific applications, but for all applications submitted to USCIS.
Who Is Affected?
- Individuals from 19 “High-Risk” Countries:
Some restrictions apply to individuals who were born in or are citizens of these 19 countries identified as “high-risk” in the June 4 Presidential Proclamation (travel ban): Afghanistan, Burma,
Burundi, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, and Yemen.
More countries may be added to the travel ban list in the future and, by extension, may be subject to the policies below.
USCIS paused processing of all currently pending USCIS applications for all applicants from these countries, regardless of entry date. These include, but are not limited to:
■ Nonimmigrant visa applications (ex. H-1B, TN, O-1 visas)
■ Green card applications
■ Applications for citizenship (including already scheduled
oath ceremonies)
USCIS has also stated that it will re-examine all approved applications for individuals from these countries. USCIS has not yet guided the scope of this review, but individuals may be called in for another interview.
When USCIS adjudicates or re-reviews applications from these countries, it may consider that an individual is from one of these countries as a significant negative discretionary factor in certain applications, such as requests to extend, change of status, or green cards.
- Asylum Seekers and Applicants for Withholding of Removal
USCIS has paused processing of all I-589 asylum and withholding of removal applications, regardless of the individual’s nationality or country of birth.
This includes approvals, denials, and case closures. USCIS may still review these files and schedule interviews, but they will not issue final decisions. Individuals can still seek asylum, but should speak to an immigration attorney to see how this recent policy change will affect their case.
- Refugees
USCIS has paused processing of all pending green card applications for refugees admitted to the U.S. between January 21, 2021, and February 20, 2025. USCIS plans to re-review and, if necessary, re-interview all refugee applications for those admitted to the U.S. during that period. The pause and re-review includes derivative family members and follow-to-join refugees who arrived in the U.S. during the same period.
When Will These Pauses End?
No end date has been announced as of December 9, 2025.
What Should I Do If I Think I Will Be Affected by Policy Changes?
Contact your immigration attorney to discuss the policy changes and their possible impacts. If you do not have one, you can find a licensed attorney at www.ailalawyer.com.
This flyer is intended for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. You should not act or rely on any information in this flyer without seeking the advice of a competent, licensed immigration attorney.
