USCIS issues a policy memorandum that places a hold on all pending applications for individuals from travel ban countries

On January 1, 2026, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy memorandum that places an indefinite hold on all pending applications from individuals coming from countries affected by the recent travel ban. Additionally, USCIS will conduct a thorough re-evaluation of benefit requests that were approved on or after January 20, 2021.  

Countries on the newly expanded travel ban list are Afghanistan, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Chad, Republic of Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon, The Gambia, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. In addition, foreign nationals who seek to travel to the United States using Palestinian Authority-issued or -endorsed travel documents are subject to the travel ban and to any travel ban-related USCIS policies.  

USCIS states that the adjudicative hold policy will apply if the country of birth or citizenship of the foreign national listed on their immigration benefit application is a travel ban country.  

What type of immigration benefit applications are affected?

The memo explicitly states that USCIS will place an adjudicative hold on ALL pending benefit requests submitted by or for foreign nationals from the countries listed above. This includes applications for Optional Practical Training (OPT), STEM OPT, changes of immigration status, reinstatements to F-1 status, H-1B visas, permanent residence applications, and more. International students, scholars, and employees who are impacted by this USCIS memo should prepare for long processing times, additional vetting, and potential requests for evidence related to their eligibility for the relevant immigration benefits or security-related matters. They may also be requested to appear for an in-person interview or re-interview.  

International students who are nationals of or were born in the countries mentioned in the memo should reach out to ISSS if they plan to apply for any USCIS benefits in the near future, such as OPT or STEM OPT. 

Departments at Drexel that wish to sponsor a work visa for individuals from the affected countries, whether they are currently in the U.S. or abroad, should contact the International Students and Scholars Services (ISSS) for further guidance.  

Are there exceptions? 

USCIS provides a list of benefit applications that are exempt from the adjudication hold policy:

• Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (Green Card);
• Benefit requests filed by any foreign national who is an athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives for the purpose of participating in the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the Secretary of State; and
• Benefit requests filed by foreign nationals whose entry would serve a U.S. national interest.

For more information, please consult Fragomen’s website.