USCIS Expands Processing Holds to 39 High-Risk Countries: What You Need to Know

In a sweeping policy change that has sent ripples through the immigration community, USCIS issued a policy memorandum on January 1, 2026, placing holds on the final adjudication of all pending immigration benefit requests filed by or on behalf of individuals connected to 39 countries designated as high risk. This expanded directive is affecting tens of thousands of pending cases and causing significant uncertainty for applicants and employers alike.

Which Countries Are Affected

The 39 countries on the expanded list under Presidential Proclamations 10949 and 10998 include Afghanistan, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Chad, Republic of Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon, The Gambia, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

What Applications Are Affected

The processing holds affect a wide range of application types including Form I-129 petitions for temporary workers such as H-1B, Form I-140 immigrant worker petitions, Form I-539 change of status applications, Form I-765 employment authorization documents, and other benefit applications. This means that students, scholars, H-1B workers, green card applicants, and EAD applicants from or connected to these countries are all potentially affected.

Re-Review of Previously Approved Cases

Perhaps most concerning is that USCIS will conduct re-reviews of benefit requests that were already approved between January 20, 2021, and the present. These cases may require additional screening, interviews, and re-interviews. This means that even individuals who already received their green cards, work permits, or status approvals during this period could face renewed scrutiny.

Enhanced Screening Procedures

On March 30, 2026, USCIS issued an additional public alert outlining enhancements to its screening and vetting procedures. The agency has also established procedures to lift processing holds for certain categories including EAD applications, naturalization oath ceremonies, and petitions filed by U.S. citizens, though the timeline for lifting holds in other categories remains unclear.

If you or your employer have a pending application that may be affected by these processing holds, or if you are a national of one of the 39 listed countries, contact Vartanian Law Firm at (617) 523-5689 for guidance on your specific situation and available options.