Immigration applications from 19 countries subjected to a travel ban by the Trump administration earlier this year have been paused indefinitely because of national security concerns, the US government agency that processes visas and green cards has said.

The U.S. has paused all pending immigration applications from 19 "countries of concern," meaning that even applicants with pending green card applications are on hold.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced Tuesday it is placing a hold on all pending asylum applications and will pause all benefit requests by foreign nationals from 19

USCIS cut the validity of Employment Authorization Documents from five years to eighteen months to allow more frequent background checks and tighten security. The change affects refugees, people granted asylum and individuals with pending immigration cases,

The new rule, effective December 5, 2025, means more frequent renewals, longer backlogs, and a higher risk that applicants could lose their ability to work while waiting for approvals.

On Tuesday Dec. 2, 2025, USCIS released a policy memorandum titled “Hold and Review of all Pending Asylum Applications and all USCIS

The Trump administration is pausing all immigration applications such as requests for green cards for people from 19 countries banned from travel earlier this year.

Experts told Newsweek that the policy may result in extended processing times and additional administrative burdens for affected applicants.