USCIS Pauses Green Card and Asylum Approvals for Enhanced FBI Security Checks
- Greg V
- May 3
- 1 min read
If you have a pending green card, naturalization, or asylum application — read this now.
On April 27, 2026, USCIS quietly launched an expanded FBI criminal history vetting system that is already delaying approvals across multiple immigration benefit categories. If you are waiting on a decision, this change may affect your timeline.
What changed — and why.
USCIS officers have been instructed to resubmit pending cases — including adjustment of status (green card), naturalization, family-based petitions, and asylum applications — to the enhanced FBI background check system before approving them. Any case that received FBI data before April 27 must be re-screened.
This stems from a February executive order directing the Justice Department to give USCIS access to its criminal history database 'to the maximum extent permitted by law.' USCIS says delays will be 'brief,' but immigration attorneys report that backlogs are already growing.
What this means for your case.
You may experience a longer wait for a decision even if your application was nearly complete. The delay affects:
Adjustment of status (green card through employment or family)
Naturalization (N-400)
Asylum applications with biometrics on file
Family-based petitions requiring fingerprints
What you should do right now.
Do not assume your case is stuck due to an error. If you were expecting a decision soon, contact your immigration attorney to check case status and determine whether any action is needed. We are monitoring all active cases at Vartanian Law Firm and will reach out to clients directly if their timelines are affected.
Need help? Contact Vartanian Law Firm for a confidential consultation.
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