The U.S. has halted all immigration benefit processing for nationals of 19 non-European countries as part of a heightened security review.
All pending and previously approved cases will undergo re-evaluation, with possible new interviews and documentation requirements.
The freeze affects applicants from countries including Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Cuba, and Venezuela, creating widespread uncertainty for lawful migrants.
US Freezes Immigration Processing For 19 Nations Amid Security Review
The US government has halted all immigration benefits for people from 19 non-European countries, pausing green cards, citizenship and asylum processing. The move follows heightened security concerns and requires a re-examination of all pending applications from nationals of the designated countries.
Summary
The United States has imposed a sweeping freeze on immigration processing for applicants from 19 non-European countries, suspending decisions on green cards, citizenship, asylum and other immigration benefits. The directive, issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), applies to all applications regardless of when they were filed, including those near approval.
Officials said the halt is part of an intensified security review prompted by recent national security concerns. USCIS officers have been instructed to re-evaluate all pending and previously approved cases for applicants from the listed countries. This reassessment may require new background checks, additional documentation or fresh interviews, even for people who have lived legally in the U.S. for years.
The list of affected nations includes Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. It also covers countries previously under partial restrictions: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
The new restrictions mark a significant expansion of the administration’s immigration policy, broadening earlier entry bans to include legal immigration pathways.
Immigrants from these countries now face indefinite delays, and advocates warn the freeze could deepen backlogs, disrupt families and create long-term uncertainty for lawful residents awaiting final approval.
Government officials maintain that the pause is necessary to enhance public safety and ensure rigorous vetting. Critics, however, argue that blanket measures targeting entire nationalities risk being discriminatory, overly broad and harmful to thousands who have complied with all legal processes.
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