Application Pause for All Travel Ban Countries

In June of 2025, the Trump administration issued a proclamation barring nationals from 12 countries: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. It also partially restricts the entry of individuals from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. (Proclamation 10949)

Then, on December 2, 2025, USCIS issued a Policy Memorandum which directed that USCIS to:

1. Place a hold on all I-589 Asylum and Withholding applications;
2. Place a hold on all benefit requests for individuals who are citizens or natives from the previously listed travel ban/restriction countries, regardless of entry date, and
3. To re-review approved benefit requests for non-citizens, from the countries listed in Proclamation 10949, who entered the United States on or after January 20, 2021. “Entered” may include inspected, admitted, paroled, or EWI.

This includes all USCIS forms, such as Form I-485, Form I-90, Form N-400, Form N-470, Form I-751, and Form I-131. Oath Ceremonies have also been paused for non-citizens who are native born citizens or nationals of the travel ban countries.