Green Card and Citizenship Applications From 19 Countries Paused Effective December 2

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Trump administration have paused green card and citizenship applications for nationals of 19 countries under new travel restrictions.

What We Know So Far

This pause affects employment-based, family-based, and discretionary applications, including:

• Adjustment of status
• Employment authorization (EAD)
• Extensions of nonimmigrant stay
• Changes of status
• Advance Parole
• Naturalization oath ceremonies

Applications from these countries are affected:

• Afghanistan
• Burma (Myanmar)
• Burundi
• Chad
• Cuba
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea
• Haiti
• Iran
• Laos
• Libya
• Republic of the Congo
• Sierra Leone
• Somalia
• Sudan
• Togo
• Turkmenistan
• Venezuela
• Yemen

USCIS officials confirmed that applications from these countries will not move forward until the agency completes what it calls "maximum vetting." Hundreds of immigrants are reporting canceled green card interviews, canceled citizenship oath ceremonies, and sudden removal of appointments from the USCIS system with no explanation.

Immigration attorneys across the country say the cancellations began this week and appear widespread. Some applicants arrived at USCIS field offices only to be turned away.

The pause follows several major policy shifts announced by the Trump administration in recent days, including:

• A review of green cards already issued to nationals of travel-ban countries
• A pause on asylum decisions
• A reevaluation of asylum grants issued during the Biden administration

USCIS has said "nothing is off the table" until every immigrant from these countries is re-screened.

The move comes after the arrest of an Afghan man accused of shooting two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., an event senior officials have used when calling for broader restrictions.

USCIS said the pause will remain in place until the agency decides how it wants to handle additional vetting for people from these countries. More than 1.4 million asylum cases and tens of thousands of family-based and employment-based green card applicants could be affected.

Afghan-Specific Restrictions

Afghan nationals face an even broader set of actions:

• USCIS has halted all immigration requests for Afghans
• The State Department has paused all visa issuance, immigrant and non-immigrant, for Afghan passport holders

These restrictions impact Afghan employees, family members abroad, and individuals with pending consular or adjustment cases.

Implications for Employers

Businesses sponsoring foreign national workers from affected countries should expect:

• Delays in onboarding and start dates
• Inability to obtain timely work authorization or status extensions
• Slowed processing for employment-based adjustments or EAD renewals

Employers are advised to maintain detailed compliance documentation and adjust workforce planning in response to uncertain adjudication timelines.

Implications for Family-Based Applicants

Marriage-based couples, K-1 applicants, and family petitioners may experience:

• Delays or pauses in I-485 adjudications
• Slower issuance of EAD and Advance Parole
• Reduced consular visa interview availability for K-1 and immigrant visas
• Significant delays for Afghan fiancé(e)s and spouses due to DOS and USCIS halts

Couples should avoid time-sensitive travel or wedding plans tied to immigration timelines.

What We Don't Yet Know

Several key questions remain unanswered:

• How long the adjudication pause will last
• Whether additional countries or case types may be affected
• How negative-factor guidance will be applied during interviews or discretionary reviews
• The standards USCIS will use to re-examine previously granted permanent residence for certain nationalities
• Whether specific categories (e.g., work permits, Advance Parole, or certain family-based filings) will resume earlier than others

Agencies have not provided a timeline for when further guidance will be released.

If You Are From One of the 19 Affected Countries:

• Expect delays, even if you already had an interview scheduled. USCIS is canceling interviews and oath ceremonies without notice.
• Check your case status daily. Many applicants are seeing appointments disappear from their online portal with no formal written notice.
• Save every USCIS notice and appointment confirmation. If your interview was canceled, proof of the original appointment may help once processing resumes.
• Talk to an immigration attorney before traveling. If you leave the U.S. during the pause, you may face re-entry issues if your country is also subject to travel restrictions.
• If you have work authorization, keep it valid. File renewals as early as possible to avoid lapses while the pause continues.

If You Have a Pending Naturalization Case:

Your oath ceremony may be postponed, even if you passed your interview earlier this year.

Avoid long trips outside the U.S. that could affect continuous residence while waiting for USCIS to resume processing.

"For the pending naturalization cases, I would not recommend that anyone from any of the 19 countries travel outside of the U.S. right now, even if they have a green card," said Deanna Benjamin, an independent immigration attorney with Boundless.

If You Are an Employer:

This pause could affect talent already in your workforce, especially employees from Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea, Haiti, Yemen, Venezuela, and other listed countries.

Immediate actions for HR and employers:

• Identify employees with pending green card applications (Form I-485) or naturalization cases who may be affected
• Encourage employees to file EAD renewals as soon as possible. Automatic extensions are no longer available to provide protection
• Review upcoming work-authorization expiration dates. Build a contingency plan to prevent disruptions to staffing or project timelines
• Avoid international business travel for affected employees until more clarity is available
• Provide written employment verification upon request. Employees may need updated letters to maintain I-9 records or prepare for future USCIS appointments once processing resumes
• Stay updated. The situation may evolve quickly, and Boundless will continue tracking changes

For now, immigrants from the 19 affected countries, and the employers who rely on their talent, should prepare for significant delays. Boundless will continue monitoring the situation and provide clear, practical guidance as soon as new information becomes available.

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