U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it is resuming final adjudications on pending asylum applications. However, this does not apply to nationals of 40 countries deemed “high-risk,” including Syria, Afghanistan, Iran, and certain African nations.
With the process becoming active again following USCIS’s earlier pause, cases that have already completed interviews but have not yet received a decision are expected to be prioritized for review.
Why Was the Process Suspended?
Following a shooting attack on November 26, 2025 in Washington, D.C. that targeted two National Guard members and resulted in the death of one, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) undertook a sweeping overhaul of asylum and immigration policies. As part of this overhaul, all asylum adjudications were suspended indefinitely. Additional measures were subsequently introduced as well, including the suspension of the Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery.
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