In a major development for hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers in the United States, USCIS has lifted its four-month freeze on asylum adjudications for applicants from non-travel-ban countries. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed on March 30, 2026 that it has ended the blanket adjudicative hold that had stalled roughly 4 million applications since late November 2025.

Cases that had been untouched for over four months should now begin moving again — but the thaw is partial. Nationals of approximately 40 countries under the expanded travel ban remain frozen, and the restrictions extend beyond asylum to work permits, green cards, and other immigration benefits.

Key Takeaway

If you are an asylum applicant from a country NOT on the expanded travel ban list, your case should resume processing. Contact your attorney to confirm your case is active and ensure USCIS has your current address. If you are from one of the approximately 40 travel-ban countries, the freeze continues.

What Happened — The November 2025 Freeze

The asylum adjudication freeze was imposed in late November 2025 after an Afghan national shot two National Guard members in Washington, D.C. One of the Guard members died the next day from her injuries. The administration described the move as a national security necessity and ordered a comprehensive security review of all pending immigration benefits.

At the time, then-DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said the pause was indefinite while the agency worked through its backlog of nearly 4 million cases. USCIS continued to accept new asylum applications and conduct interviews, but it stopped issuing any final decisions — grants or denials — on pending asylum claims.

What Changed on March 30, 2026

Under revised guidance announced on March 30, 2026, USCIS officers may again issue decisions for applicants from countries that are not subject to the expanded travel ban. According to DHS, asylum seekers must pass enhanced vetting — including cross-checks against social media, criminal records, and State Department consular databases — before their cases can be adjudicated.

DHS stated that the partial lifting allows the agency to focus resources on rigorous security vetting for higher-risk cases while clearing the backlog of cases from lower-risk countries.

Who Remains Frozen?

Nationals of approximately 40 countries on the expanded travel ban remain subject to the adjudicative hold. The affected nations include primarily countries in Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Central Asia and the Caribbean, including Afghanistan, Iran, Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, Somalia, and Nigeria. For these nationals, the freeze applies to all immigration applications — not just asylum — including work permits, green card applications, and even citizenship cases.

Impact on Work Permits and EADs

For asylum applicants whose cases are now resuming, work permit applications tied to pending asylum cases should also begin processing again. However, applicants should be aware that EAD validity has been reduced from five years to 18 months for work permits issued after December 4, 2025. Those who already received a five-year work permit before that date retain its full validity.

A separate proposed rule — currently in the public comment period — would further restrict asylum-based work permits by extending the waiting period from 180 days to 365 days and introducing a processing-time-based pause mechanism.

Re-Review of Previously Approved Cases

The administration has also initiated re-reviews of previously approved refugee and asylum cases for individuals who were admitted under the prior administration. Some of these re-reviewed cases have been referred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for potential removal proceedings. Advocacy groups have raised due process concerns about this practice.

What You Should Do Now

If your asylum case was frozen and you are not from a travel-ban country, take the following steps: contact your immigration attorney to confirm your case is active, ensure USCIS has your current mailing address, update any evidence or documentation that may have changed during the freeze, and prepare for a potential interview in the coming weeks.

If you are from one of the 40 travel-ban countries, your case remains paused. Consult with an experienced immigration attorney about alternative strategies or relief options that may apply to your situation.

⚠️ Not Legal Advice. This content is general information only. Consult a licensed U.S. immigration attorney for case-specific guidance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Has USCIS resumed processing asylum cases?
Yes. As of March 30, 2026, USCIS has lifted the adjudicative hold for asylum seekers from non-travel-ban countries. Cases that were frozen since late November 2025 should begin moving again.
Which countries are still affected by the asylum freeze?
Approximately 40 countries remain under the expanded travel ban, including Afghanistan, Iran, Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, Somalia, Nigeria, and others primarily in Africa and the Middle East.
What triggered the asylum adjudication freeze?
The freeze was imposed in late November 2025 after an Afghan national shot two National Guard members in Washington, D.C. The administration ordered a comprehensive security review of all pending immigration benefits.
Do existing work permits remain valid during the freeze?
Yes. If you have a valid work permit based on a pending asylum case, it remains valid and you can continue to use it regardless of whether your country is on the travel ban list.