December 2, 2025 — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued a sweeping new policy memorandum directing an immediate, indefinite hold on the final adjudication of all pending asylum cases and certain immigration benefit applications for individuals from designated “high-risk” countries. The policy, published December 2 as PM-602-0192: Hold and Review of all Pending Asylum Applications and all USCIS Benefit Applications Filed by Aliens from High-Risk Countries, will significantly affect asylum applicants and other foreign nationals awaiting USCIS decisions.
Under the memo, USCIS officers are instructed to stop processing the final approval or denial of all pending Form I-589 applications — the principal application for asylum and withholding of removal — regardless of the applicant’s nationality. While interviews and initial processing steps may continue, no adjudication activity on pending I-589 forms will take place while the memorandum is in effect.
Focus on “High-Risk” Countries and Expanded Reviews
In addition to pausing asylum decisions, the policy places an indefinite hold on certain pending immigration benefit requests filed by nationals of countries listed in Presidential Proclamation 10949, a travel-restriction proclamation issued earlier in 2025. USCIS will also conduct a comprehensive re-review of certain previously approved benefits — including adjustment-of-status and other immigration benefits — for individuals from those countries who entered the U.S. on or after January 20, 2021.
The list of countries currently considered “high-risk” under the proclamation includes, but is not limited to:
- Afghanistan
- Cuba
- Iran
- Libya
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Syria
- Venezuela
- Yemen
…among others similarly designated.
The re-review process may involve additional security checks, interviews, re-interviews, and identity verification measures before cases can proceed. USCIS has not provided a timeline for how long this additional review and pause in adjudication will last.
Impacts on Asylum and Other Immigration Processes
According to immigration legal analysts, the memo represents one of the broadest operational pauses on immigration adjudications in recent U.S. history, affecting hundreds of thousands of pending asylum cases along with a significant portion of other immigration benefits. While the memo does not automatically deny or terminate existing applications, the suspension of final decisions means that applicants and their advocates face uncertainty and prolonged waiting periods.
The hold applies to a wide range of pending forms for affected individuals, potentially including:
- Green card applications (adjustment of status)
- Work authorization and travel documents
- Naturalization processes
- Other immigration benefit requests tied to eligible nationals from designated countries
What’s Next: Uncertain Timeline and Legal Advice
The USCIS policy memorandum states that the holds and re-reviews will remain in effect until lifted by a subsequent directive from the agency. There is currently no official end date for the pause on asylum adjudications or the high-risk country benefit holds, leaving applicants in legal limbo as operational guidance and implementation details continue to develop.
Immigration attorneys recommend that individuals affected by these changes consult experienced legal counsel to understand how the policy may impact their specific cases and to prepare for extended delays and potential interview requests.
The full text of USCIS Policy Memorandum PM-602-0192 is available on the agency website.
Source: USCIS Policy Memorandum PM-602-0192 — Hold and Review of all Pending Asylum Applications and all USCIS Benefit Applications Filed by Aliens from High-Risk Countries (December 2, 2025).
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