Between January 2025 and January 2026, the current Administration issued several executive actions directing federal agencies to expand screening and vetting of noncitizens to the maximum degree possible. These actions included entry restrictions affecting nationals of 39 countries that the Administration identified as having deficient screening, vetting, or information-sharing practices. As a result, USCIS implemented a pause on final adjudications for individuals from the 39 countries identified as “high-risk” and  subject to the June 2025 travel restrictions, including approvals, denials, dismissals, and naturalization oath ceremonies.

Additionally, on March 30, 2026, USCIS issued an update outlining expanded national security screening and new holds on immigration benefit adjudications for those from the identified “high-risk” countries. The holds apply to final decisions on certain types of cases, but USCIS may continue to issue requests for additional evidence or interviews.

The update summarizes the agency’s updated screening and vetting practices, including:

• Shortening validity periods for certain Employment Authorization Documents to require more frequent security checks;
• Updating photograph reuse policies to strengthen identity verification, including biometric identity verification when reusing fingerprints;
• Increasing social media and financial vetting and community interviews;
• Launching Operation PARRIS to conduct additional background checks, re-interviews, and merit reviews of refugee claims, led by the USCIS Vetting Center;
• Developing system connectivity for automatic notifications of biometric matches and new criminal information; and
• Requiring final arrest encounter reviews and Department of State Consular Consolidated Database checks before final adjudication.

More recently, USCIS has quietly added language to the March 30, 2026 update on Screening and Vetting. Specifically, under the “Internal Review Process” section, USCIS added ‘medical physicians’ to the group of cases for which there is an internal process to lift holds. Specifically, the March 30, 2026 update now states in part:

‘Internal Review Process

USCIS established an internal process for lifting holds on individual or group cases, requiring comprehensive review by multiple offices. Holds have been lifted for aliens vetted through Operation PARRIS, certain petitions filed by U.S. citizens, intercountry adoption forms, certain rescheduled oath ceremonies, statutory and regulatory decision issuance, refugee registrations for South African citizens/nationals, certain special immigrant visa petitions, certain employment authorization documents, and asylum applications from non-high-risk countries, and applications associated with medical physicians. We continue to review all application types and lift holds for both individual and group cases as appropriate.’

We continue to monitor official USCIS pages for further updates on Pauses and Decisions for Travel Ban Countries.

Resources:

• Update on USCIS Strengthened Screening & Vetting – 03/30/2026
• USCIS Policy Memo: Hold and Review of USCIS Benefit Applications Filed by Aliens from Additional High-Risk Countries – 01/01/2026
• Presidential Proclamation: Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect The United States – 06/04/2025

This update is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
If you require specific advice and consultation, please call us at 508-790-1181.