USCIS Places Hold on Benefit Applications related to Travel Ban

On January 1, 2026, USCIS issued a Policy Memorandum announcing an adjudicative hold on all pending benefit applications filed by individuals from the “high-risk countries” listed in Presidential Proclamations 10949 and 10998 (Trump's Travel Ban).

Last month, USCIS abruptly enacted the adjudicative hold, as discussed by MU in December 2025, but that hold has now been made official USCIS policy.

 

USCIS’s adjudicative hold applies to cases filed by individuals who list a country from the Travel Ban as either their country of birth or country of citizenship. USCIS does not specifically list the form types affected by the hold, nor how long the hold will be in effect.

 

Furthermore, USCIS will re-review approved benefit requests such as Green Cards for individuals from Travel Ban countries. This may include interviews or re-interviews to reassess Green Card eligibility.

 

Are there any exceptions?

 

The following case types are exempt from USCIS’s adjudicative hold:

• Green card replacements (Form I-90);
• Replacement naturalization/citizenship documents (Forms N-565, N-600);
• Certain work permit categories (Form I-765);
• Benefit requests filed by professional athletes—including coaches and relatives—for the purpose of attending the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event; and
• Case types that would serve a U.S. national interest.

If you have specific questions or concerns about this Policy Memorandum, do not hesitate to reach out to your MU attorney.