USCIS Processing Time Update June 2026: DHS Lifts Pause on Green Card Adjudication for 39 Countries

Between December 2025 and January 2026, USCIS issued a series of memoranda pausing adjudication of immigration benefits for nationals of 39 countries designated as 'high risk' by Presidential Proclamation. The affected countries include Afghanistan, Haiti, Iran, Venezuela, Nigeria, Cuba, and 33 others. Separately, all Form I-589 asylum applications were paused regardless of nationality, and Diversity Visa (DV) adjustment of status applications were also placed on hold. On June 5, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island ruled against these holds, issuing a formal order on June 11, 2026 that vacated the USCIS memoranda. This ruling effectively ended the adjudication pause across all affected categories. The Department of Homeland Security has appealed the court's decision. However, DHS has confirmed it will not enforce the holds while the appeal is pending. As a result, USCIS is now required to adjudicate all new and previously paused benefit requests without regard to the applicant's or beneficiary's nationality. For EB-3 applicants and their beneficiaries who are nationals of any of the 39 listed countries, this is a significant development. Cases that had been stalled since late 2025 should now move forward, though USCIS has not announced a specific processing timeline or priority order for clearing the backlog of held applications. Applicants affected by the prior holds should monitor their case status through the USCIS online portal and consult with an immigration attorney if their case remains inactive, given that no formal procedure for resumption has been published.