The United States (U.S) government has announced a decision to halt green card, citizenship cases, and all immigration applications for nationals of 19 countries.
The U.S decision to halt immigration applications is set to affect a wide range of statuses, including Green Card (Legal Permanent Resident) applications, naturalization proceedings for U.S. citizenship, and asylum decisions, placing a sudden and indefinite hold on the dreams of thousands of applicants already well into the lengthy vetting process.
The directive, issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), covers countries already subjected to a partial travel ban enacted earlier this year.
The 19 nations on the list include Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
The official justification for the sudden pause is the need for a “comprehensive re-review” of all cases from these “high-risk” nations to address national security and public safety concerns.
The administration is now mandating that all pending applications undergo a new, thorough review, potentially including additional or re-interviews, putting the brakes on final approvals that were often just days or weeks away. The impact of the U.S. immigration pause for 19 nations is immediate, with reports of canceled oath ceremonies and interviews coming from across the country.
“This hold includes all form types and making any final decisions (approvals, denials) as well as completing any oath ceremonies,” the guidance to USCIS offices said.
In another separate statement made available to the press, the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees USCIS said “the Trump Administration is making every effort to ensure individuals becoming citizens are the best of the best.”
“We will take no chances when the future of our nation is at stake,” DHS added. “The Trump Administration is reviewing all immigration benefits granted by the Biden Administration to aliens from Countries of Concern.”
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that the decision of the U.S to halt all immigration applications follows a recent shooting incident in Washington D.C.
The man accused of shooting the two Guard members is allegedly an Afghan evacuee who purportedly entered the U.S. in September 2021, under the Biden administration, and who was granted asylum in April 2025, after Trump returned to the White House.
The Trump administration has publicly announced a series of immigration restrictions since the attack, including a pause on all asylum decisions by USCIS, a categorical suspension of visa and immigration processing for Afghans, and a review of green card cases involving immigrants from the 19 nations on the travel ban.
Trump had also announced his intention to permanently pause migration from all third-world Countries.
Trump explained that the move to permanently pause migration from third-world countries is necessary for the American system to “fully recover.”
He said: “Even as we have progressed technologically, Immigration Policy has eroded those gains and living conditions for many. I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover, terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions, including those signed by Sleepy Joe Biden’s Autopen, and remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States, or is incapable of loving our Country, end all Federal benefits and subsidies to noncitizens of our Country, denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility, and deport any foreign national who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western Civilization.
“These goals will be pursued to achieve a major reduction in illegal and disruptive populations, including those admitted through an unauthorized and illegal Autopen approval process. Only REVERSE MIGRATION can fully cure this situation. Other than that, HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL, except those that hate, steal, murder, and destroy everything that America stands for—You won’t be here for long!”
