After months of frozen cases, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has resumed adjudicating immigration applications for nationals of 39 countries that had been swept into an expanded travel-ban-related processing hold. The change came after a federal court ordered the agency to stop withholding decisions — though the government has already appealed, leaving the long-term picture uncertain.
Background. On January 1, 2026, USCIS issued a policy memorandum extending an adjudicative “hold and review” to all 39 countries on the expanded travel-ban list. Under that policy, cases were not denied outright — officers could open and review files but were barred from issuing final approvals or denials. The result was a backlog of applicants left in limbo for months, including many H-1B workers and employment-based green-card applicants from affected countries such as Iran and Nigeria.
A federal court struck down the freeze and, as of mid-June 2026, ordered USCIS to resume processing. Immigration attorneys have since reported a wave of long-delayed approvals — including H-1B petitions and PERM-based I-140 immigrant petitions that should have been decided months earlier under premium processing. Premium processing remains available across the EB-1 through EB-4 categories, and H-1B petitions, extensions, and transfers are again being adjudicated.
An important caveat. The court’s order requires USCIS to process these applications — not to approve them. Each case is still decided on its individual merits, and applications may still be denied. Because the government has filed an appeal, there is a risk that the hold could be reinstated if a higher court rules in its favor. Applicants from affected countries should therefore act promptly while adjudications are moving, ensure their petitions are complete and well-documented, and keep close track of receipt and approval notices.
For applicants who spent much of 2026 waiting on stalled cases, the resumption is welcome relief. But given the pending appeal, the window should be treated as time-sensitive rather than permanent.
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Source: LinkedIn - Robert Webber