USCIS pause hits benefits
USCIS is pausing adjudications on several benefits — including OPT, H-1B, EADs, and green cards — creating fresh uncertainty for vetted professionals and triggering advocacy calls to lift the hold. The pause is broad and affects both nonimmigrant work authorization and adjustment-related processes. (x.com)
USCIS issued Policy Memorandum PM‑602‑0192 on December 2, 2025, directing officers to place a hold on all Form I‑589 asylum applications and on pending benefit requests for nationals of countries listed in Presidential Proclamation 10949. (uscis.gov)) The December memo explicitly names application types that fall within the hold — including Form I‑485, I‑90, N‑470, I‑751 and I‑131 — and states that interviews for individuals from the designated countries “shall not be waived under any circumstance.” (uscis.gov)) USCIS expanded that framework with PM‑602‑0194 on January 1, 2026, directing a hold on pending benefit applications for nationals listed in Presidential Proclamation 10998 and ordering comprehensive re‑reviews of approvals granted on or after January 20, 2021. (uscis.gov)) The December 16, 2025 proclamation (PP‑10998) that PM‑602‑0194 implements broadened the earlier list and, together with PP‑10949, resulted in entry restrictions affecting 39 countries effective January 1, 2026. (travel.state.gov)) PM‑602‑0194 removed the prior rule of broad exemption for family‑based immigrant visa filings, explicitly stating that family‑based immigrant visa applications will no longer be automatically or broadly exempt from the hold and re‑review. (uscis.gov)) USCIS defined a “hold” as permitting routine processing up to—but not including—final adjudication, meaning approvals, denials, or dismissals are withheld pending the agency’s comprehensive review. (uscis.gov)) University international‑student offices and immigration practitioners have flagged that Form I‑129, I‑140 and Form I‑765 filings (the technical vehicles for H‑1B petitions, employment‑based immigrant processing and EADs including OPT/STEM OPT) are among the application types being held or subject to enhanced review, and employers and campuses report operational delays. (oiss.yale.edu))
