 "US immigration curbs: Green card and visa cases from 38 countries paused")
The US Department of Homeland Security has paused immigration applications from an additional 20 countries, widening travel and immigration restrictions that came into effect on January 1.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), in a memo released on Thursday, said it would pause the review of all pending applications for visas, green cards, citizenship and asylum from immigrants from the newly added countries. The agency also said it would re-review applications from these countries going back to 2021.
“For many immigrants and families, the reality will be indefinite delays, repeated scrutiny, and legal limbo,” said Mariam Masumi Daud, an immigration attorney and owner of Johnson & Masumi, PC, in a social media post.
Countries facing full or partial restrictions
The list includes Afghanistan, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad, Congo, Cuba, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon, Haiti, Iran, Ivory Coast, Laos, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, The Gambia, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
What USCIS is doing with applications
Daud explained how the pause works in practice.
• USCIS will continue processing many cases, but will not approve or deny them
• Applications can remain pending indefinitely until USCIS leadership lifts the hold
• Past approvals dating back to January 20, 2021 may be re-reviewed
• Some applicants could be called for interviews years later
• Family-based cases are no longer broadly exempt, including spouses, parents and children
What the pause does not mean
• Applications are not automatically denied
• The impact is not the same for every applicant
• USCIS does not have unlimited authority to delay cases without challenge
Why the government says the pause is needed
“USCIS remains dedicated to ensuring aliens from high-risk countries of concern who have entered the United States do not pose risks to national security or public safety,” said the agency in the memo, explaining the reason for the pause and expanded reviews.
“To faithfully uphold United States immigration law, the flow of aliens from countries with high overstay rates, significant fraud, or both must stop,” it said.
The memo lists limited exceptions, including athletes and support staff taking part in the World Cup and the Olympic Games.
How the expansion came about
The administration first signalled a broader set of restrictions after the arrest of an Afghan national suspected in the shooting of two National Guard troops over the Thanksgiving weekend.
By the end of 2025, DHS had begun taking steps to pause and re-examine several legal migration routes. USCIS announced it would re-review the status of individuals admitted to the US as refugees during the Biden administration, reopening those cases.
The agency has also already put an indefinite pause on the processing of all asylum applications while it works through an existing backlog.
Is there any legal option for applicants?
Daud pointed to the possibility of a mandamus lawsuit in some cases.
“A mandamus lawsuit does not ask a judge to approve your case. It asks one question: USCIS, what exactly are you doing — and why is this taking so long?” she said.
“Mandamus is not automatic, not appropriate for every case, and timing matters. Whether it’s an option depends on the length of the delay, the urgency of the situation, and the specific facts of your case,” she added.