Court Order Stops Holds on Some Immigration Applications
A court has ordered USCIS to stop pausing some immigration applications, especially for people from certain countries.
Affects: Asylum seekers, Green Card applicants, Other visa applicants · Source: USCIS
What happened
A court has made an important decision about how USCIS handles some immigration applications. On August 24, 2026, a federal court issued an order. This order tells USCIS to stop putting certain applications on hold. This means USCIS must now process these applications normally, without the previous delays.
The court's order specifically stops two policies. These policies were called PM 602-0192 and PM 602-0194. These policies had caused delays for many people seeking immigration benefits. The court also decided that this ruling applies to a large group of people, known as a 'class' in legal terms.
USCIS has said that it strongly disagrees with the court's decision. However, it will follow the court's order for now. USCIS also mentioned that it might try to challenge this decision later. They will share new instructions as more legal steps happen.
By the numbers
- 39 — number of countries whose citizens or natives are included in the court's class definition
The bigger picture
Before this court order, USCIS had policies that caused some immigration applications to be put on hold. These policies were known as PM 602-0192 and PM 602-0194. Because of these holds, many people's applications were not moving forward. This led to very long waiting times for important decisions.
The government explained that these hold policies were based on two special orders from the President. These orders were Presidential Proclamations 10949 and 10998. The main goal of these proclamations and policies was to make sure that people entering the U.S. were carefully checked. This was to improve national security and keep the public safe from threats.
What this means for you
Asylum seekers
If you are seeking asylum and filed an I-589 application, and you are from one of the 39 listed countries or the Palestinian Authority, your application should now be processed without the previous holds. This means USCIS will review your case in its normal way. You might see your case move forward sooner than before.
Green card applicants
If you have a Green Card application, such as an I-485, pending and your case was affected by these hold policies, your application should also start moving forward normally. The court order aims to remove the specific delays that were caused by the old policies. This applies to eligible applicants from the specified countries.
Other visa applicants
If you have any other type of immigration benefit application pending with USCIS that was subject to these hold policies, your case should now be processed regularly. This applies if you are from one of the specific countries mentioned in the court's order. USCIS is now required to handle these applications in its usual process.
All immigrants
This court order only affects a specific group of applicants. These are people whose cases were put on hold by the two mentioned policies, PM 602-0192 and PM 602-0194. If your application was not subject to these specific holds, there is no direct change for you at this time. Your application will continue to be processed as it was before.
What you should do
- Nothing right now — just good to know. USCIS will issue updated instructions soon.
Key dates
- 2026-08-24: U.S. District Court issued an order to stop hold policies
- 2026-08-28: USCIS news release date and last updated date
- 2025-12-02: Date PM-602-0192 (one of the hold policies) was issued
- 2026-01-01: Date PM-602-0194 (one of the hold policies) was issued
- 2025-06-04: Date Presidential Proclamation 10949 was issued
- 2025-12-16: Date Presidential Proclamation 10998 was issued
Words explained
- USCIS
- This is the government agency that handles immigration and naturalization requests in the United States.
- Adjudicate
- This means to officially decide or judge a case or application.
- Presidential Proclamation
- This is a special order or announcement made by the President of the United States.
- Class Certification
- This is when a court decides that a group of people with similar situations can be treated as one group in a lawsuit.
- Enjoin
- When a court enjoins something, it means the court orders someone to stop doing it.
Common questions
Will my immigration application be processed faster now?
If your application was one of those put on hold by the specific policies (PM 602-0192 or PM 602-0194) and you are part of the affected group, then yes, it should be processed normally now. This means USCIS is ordered to remove those specific holds from your case. The announcement does not say exactly how much faster your application might move.
How do I know if I am part of the affected group?
You are affected if you are from one of the 39 countries or the Palestinian Authority mentioned in the Presidential Proclamations. Also, you must have an asylum application (I-589) or another immigration benefit application that was subject to the hold policies. USCIS has not yet provided specific instructions on how to check if your individual case was affected.
What are the 39 countries?
The government announcement refers to Presidential Proclamations 10949 and 10998 for the list of 39 countries. The announcement itself does not list these countries directly. To find the full list, you would need to look up those specific presidential orders.
What should I do next if I think I am affected?
The announcement states that USCIS will issue updated instructions pending further legal developments. For now, you should wait for those instructions from USCIS. There is no immediate action required from applicants at this moment.
This is a plain-English explanation, not legal advice. Confirm with the official source or a licensed immigration attorney.