USCIS is Pausing Adjudications on Certain Applications: Will You Be Affected?

On December 1, 2025, USCIS issued a Policy Memorandum regarding pausing adjudication of all asylum applications, regardless of nationality. In addition, the memo indicates that the agency is implementing an adjudicative hold on all benefit applications filed by individuals who are from “high-risk countries of concern” listed on the June 4, 2025, Presidential Proclamation (PP 10949). USCIS claims that these measures are necessary to safeguard the country from terrorist or public safety threats.

What does this mean for you?

If you have a pending asylum application before the agency, adjudication will likely not be finalized until the hold is lifted by the director of the agency. During that time, USCIS will ostensibly be conducting review and additional vetting, which could result in interviews even if you have already appeared for one. If you are from one of the countries listed in PP10949 and have a pending benefit request, your application will remain on hold for additional review and vetting. Possibly most concerning, if you have already been approved but are from one of the countries on the list, the agency is looking to conduct re-reviews for individuals who entered the U.S. on or after January 20, 2021.  

Practically speaking, if you have a pending asylum application or are from one of the listed countries and have a pending application for another benefit, you are likely going to experience potential unexpected delays and longer processing times. This goes beyond a mere inconvenience, and it is advisable to discuss potential impacts with your attorney. For example, based on your particular circumstances, you might need to take this into consideration before making travel plans.  

As they often do, USCIS may still issue clarification and additional information regarding this adjudicative hold. The memo indicates that any requests to lift the hold are extremely limited (such as litigation or extraordinary circumstances) and must be approved by the Director or Deputy Director.   If you have questions or concerns about your particular case, it is best to reach out to your legal counsel.

Are you on the list? Individuals all countries with a pending asylum application are impacted by the adjudicative hold described in the policy memo. For other benefits, the following countries are included in the PP10949 and are therefore impacted by this Policy Memo:

• Afghanistan

• Burma

• Chad

• Republic of the Congo

• Equatorial Guinea

• Eritrea

• Haiti

• Iran

• Libya

• Somalia

• Sudan

• Yemen

• Burundi

• Cuba

• Laos

• Sierra Leone

• Togo

• Turkmenistan

• Venezuela