US Pauses Immigration Processing for Multiple Countries

The Trump administration is reportedly expanding its travel ban and immigration processing pause to include up to 30 countries, including 19 countries already named, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Effective Dec. 2, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) initiated a processing hold on all pending immigration benefit requests for applicants who are either citizens of or were born in one of the 19 countries listed in President Donald Trump’s June 2025 travel ban.

USCIS is also launching a “comprehensive re-review” of approved immigration benefits for foreign nationals from the travel ban countries if the individual entered the U.S. on or after January 20, 2021 — the start of the Biden administration.

The 19 countries thus far identified include Afghanistan, Burma, Burundi, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, and Yemen.

The announcement was made in response to the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., Nov. 26, by an Afghan national living in the U.S.

Specialty Credential: U.S. Employment Immigration

Every applicant from these countries must “undergo a thorough re-review process, including a potential interview and, if necessary, a re-interview, to fully assess all national security and public safety threats,” USCIS said.

The agency has “considered that this direction may result in a delay to the adjudication of some pending applications and has weighed that consequence against the urgent need for the agency to ensure that applicants are vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible.”

In 2025, President Trump has ended temporary protected status for immigrants from numerous countries, proposed a $100,000 application fee for H-1B visas and limited work authorization for certain foreign national workers in order to increase vetting frequency.