USCIS Implements Broad Application Pause and Retrospective Reviews
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced it will pause any pending immigration application if the applicant’s country of birth or citizenship matches one of the 19 countries on the Travel Ban list.
The immigration pause will apply to green card applications/renewals and citizenship applications. The halt may also apply to other immigration applications as well. See Vong Law Group’s most recent news article yesterday listing the 19 travel ban countries. This pause does not affect the U.S. Consulates and Embassies approval of a few unique visa applications, although many of these visa applications are already impacted by President Trump’s previous travel ban issued in June 2025. (article continues below the image…)
The 19 “travel ban” countries.
At this time, it is unknown how long this “pause” will last. It may last several weeks or months.
Applications Subject to Re-Review
Consistent with the USCIS Director’s previous social media post, the USCIS memo goes on to confirm the government will re-review previously approved immigration applications (excluding visas) for foreign nationals from the 19 travel ban countries.
The USCIS may re-review immigration approvals for foreign nationals from the listed countries who entered the U.S. on or after January 20, 2021. According to the agency, the purpose of these re-reviews is to:
Identify possible security or public safety concerns
To assess any security-related grounds of ineligibility.
Applications Subject to Heightened Scrutiny
The USCIS memorandum outlines several types of applications that may be placed under this heightened scrutiny. These include:
Form I-485 – Applications to adjust status to permanent residence
Form I-90 – Applications to replace or renew Permanent Resident Cards
Form I-131 – Applications for travel documents and advance parole
Form I-751 – Petitions to remove conditions on permanent residence
Form N-470 – Applications to preserve residence for naturalization purposes
USCIS notes that this list is not exhaustive. While the memorandum primarily discusses applications filed directly by affected foreign nationals, it also acknowledges that employer-sponsored petitions for beneficiaries from certain designated countries may face delays or additional scrutiny.
What This Means Going Forward
The breadth of USCIS’s new policy suggests that its impact will extend well beyond the scope of the June 2025 travel ban, potentially affecting a wider range of applicants and petitioners. Foreign nationals with ties to the listed countries—whether through citizenship or birth—may experience delays, requests for additional evidence, re-interviews, or reopening of previously approved benefits.
Applicants and employers should anticipate case-specific inquiries and be prepared for extended processing times as USCIS implements these pauses and expanded review procedures.
If you are concerned about how the immigration pause or re-review may affect your case, please reach out to Vong Law Group.
