January 1, 2026 USCIS Policy Memorandum on Pending and Approved Immigration Benefits

(Originally December 3, 2025)

USCIS has issued an updated policy memoranda impacting individuals born in or nationals of high-risk countries designated under Presidential Proclamations 10949 and 10998, leading to processing holds, re-reviews of approved benefits, and a pause on asylum applications.

Key Provisions

• Processing Hold on All Benefit Requests: USCIS will place a hold on the final adjudication of all pending immigration benefit requests filed by or on behalf of individuals connected to high-risk countries, regardless of their date of entry.
• Re-review of Approved Benefits: USCIS will re-review benefit requests approved on or after January 20, 2021, for individuals from these countries, possibly requiring additional screening and interviews.
• Asylum Pause: Processing of all Form I-589 asylum applications is suspended.

What This Means 

• All pending and future USCIS benefit applications from individuals tied to high-risk countries will face processing pauses. Application types affected include Form I-129, Form I-140, Form I-539, and Form I-765 for temporary work authorizations, H-1B status, changes of status, and green card applications. Re-reviews will check for security threats and eligibility grounds, possibly necessitating interviews.
• Affected Countries: Afghanistan, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burma (Myanmar), Burundi, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon, The Gambia, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Palestinian Authority, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
• Expectations and Actions Expect longer processing times, evidence requests, and interviews. Pending applications may face delays in employment authorizations, status changes, and advance parole.

Next Steps 

• Affected individuals should prepare for additional scrutiny, evidence requests, and potential interviews.
• If you are a student or scholar who was born in or is a citizen of one of the countries listed above and have questions about your pending or upcoming potential benefit applications, please get in touch with your designated OISS adviser for further guidance. 
• Stay informed about changes and impacts by reviewing news articles (original and updated versions) and monitoring updates. We will provide updates as soon as we have them. Stay tuned for updates and guidance as new information becomes available.