On December 2, 2025, USCIS issued a new policy memo imposing additional restrictions on citizens of 19 countries. You can read the memo here.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
1. The change in policy affects citizens of the following countries: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
2. All decisions on applications for citizens of these countries are currently on hold under the new policy. This applies to applications for nationals both inside and outside the United States.
3. USCIS is also re-reviewing applications it had previously approved for citizens of these countries who entered the United States on or after January 20, 2021.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU
1. If you are a national of one of the affected countries, this change in policy does not mean your case has been denied. It is on hold, but it is still pending.
2. USCIS may still schedule biometrics appointments and interviews on your application or ask for more evidence. Make sure you update your address if you move so you don’t miss any important communications from USCIS.
3. At this time there is not a scheduled end date for the hold on decisions.
4. At this time, there is no official policy that applications for citizens of the 19 countries that are currently pending in Immigration Court are on hold. If your case is pending in Immigration Court, you should continue working on it.