U.S. Pauses Immigration Processing for Nationals of 39 Countries
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The Trump administration has paused the review of visa, green card, work permit, and citizenship applications for individuals born in 39 countries, including Nigeria, Myanmar, and Venezuela. This follows travel restrictions imposed after a security incident and has triggered lawsuits and a court injunction requiring decisions on some applications by a specific date.
Facts First
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has paused processing for visa, green card, and work permit applications for nationals of 39 countries.
- The pause follows travel restrictions imposed after an Afghan national shot two National Guardsmen in Washington, D.C.
- A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction mandating USCIS to issue decisions by May 18 on work authorization applications for 31 citizens of Iran and one citizen of Sudan.
- There are at least 33 lawsuits challenging the application pauses, with one attorney representing over 500 impacted people.
- USCIS has nearly 12 million applications awaiting a decision, with 247,000 applications not yet opened.
What Happened
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has paused the review of visa, green card, work permit, and citizenship applications for individuals born in 39 countries. This administrative action follows travel restrictions the U.S. imposed on most of these countries after an incident in late November where an Afghan national shot two National Guardsmen on a Washington, D.C. street. A federal judge in Northern California, Susan van Keulen, has issued a preliminary injunction mandating USCIS to issue decisions by May 18 on work authorization applications for 31 citizens of Iran and one citizen of Sudan. There are at least 33 lawsuits challenging the application pauses.
Why this Matters to You
If you or someone you know is applying for a U.S. visa, green card, or work permit from one of the affected countries, your application process may be delayed indefinitely. This could affect your ability to work, study, or reunite with family in the United States. Some immigrants have paid up to $3,000 for expedited 'premium processing,' and those fees may now be tied to stalled applications. Foreign-born workers, who work in STEM fields, may be particularly impacted, which could affect certain industries. The administration's stated efforts, including a new $100,000 fee for H-1B visas, aim to end program abuses and ensure American workers are not replaced, which may signal broader changes to immigration policy that could affect labor markets.
What's Next
The court injunction requiring decisions on specific Iranian and Sudanese applications by May 18 represents a concrete next step that may provide relief for those individuals. The outcome of the at least 33 pending lawsuits could shape whether and how the broader pause continues. The Trump administration has also moved to cancel the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program, which is currently being litigated and may indicate further immigration policy changes. During his 2024 campaign, President Trump told Silicon Valley investors he supported providing green cards to foreign-born students upon graduation, suggesting future policy directions could differ from current administrative actions.