WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 3, 2025 — The U.S. CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES has issued a sweeping directive ordering an immediate halt to the processing of all immigration-benefit applications filed by nationals of 19 designated countries. The order, released in an official memorandum on December 2, instructs federal immigration officers nationwide to place every affected case under an “adjudicative hold” pending a comprehensive re-review.
According to the memorandum issued by the U.S. CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES, the hold applies to every category of immigration benefit normally handled by the agency. This includes naturalization applications, green card filings, asylum claims, advance parole and travel permits, work authorizations where applicable, renewal requests, and all other USCIS-based petitions filed by citizens or nationals of the 19 listed “high-risk” countries. The agency directed that final approvals, denials, interviews, oath ceremonies, and other adjudicative actions be paused until further notice.
The memo specifies that the freeze applies to all pending cases, regardless of when the applicant entered the United States or when the filing was submitted. Individuals who have already completed their interviews or who were awaiting naturalization ceremonies are also included in the hold. USCIS officers were instructed to cancel or defer previously scheduled interviews and appointments for applicants from the affected countries.
In the text of the directive, the U.S. CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES states that the purpose of the hold is to conduct a “thorough security-based re-review” of all applications tied to the listed nations. The policy outlines that cases may undergo additional background vetting, interviews or re-interviews, and review of potential grounds of inadmissibility or ineligibility. The memo links the change to national-security and public-safety concerns but does not detail specific incidents or intelligence findings prompting the order.
The freeze follows earlier federal actions identifying the same 19 countries under existing travel-restriction authority. The newly issued memo expands the scope of those prior restrictions by extending the pause to immigration-benefit adjudications for individuals already inside the United States. Under the directive, the hold remains in effect until the USCIS DIRECTOR or DEPUTY DIRECTOR issues further instruction.
The DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY has not released a timeline or estimate regarding the duration of the freeze, nor has the agency provided figures on how many people or applications are immediately impacted. The memorandum does not specify what standards will govern the re-review process, nor whether previously approved immigration benefits may be subject to reassessment.
For now, applicants from the designated nations face an indefinite pause in the processing of their cases. Federal officials stated that additional information will be released as the internal review progresses and as the agency determines how future adjudications will proceed under updated national-security protocols.
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Primary First-Hand Sources
- U.S. CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES (USCIS memorandum)
- DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
- USCIS DIRECTOR / DEPUTY DIRECTOR (referenced authority for policy continuation or termination)
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