12/03/2025
The Trump administration has announced an immediate pause on all immigration applications for nationals of 19 non-European countries. This includes 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀, 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀. The decision was motivated in part after a shooting of two National Guard members in Washington last week.
The countries included in the pause are 𝗔𝗳𝗴𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻, 𝗠𝘆𝗮𝗻𝗺𝗮𝗿 (𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗺𝗮), 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗱, 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗼, 𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗮, 𝗘𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮, 𝗛𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗶, 𝗜𝗿𝗮𝗻, 𝗟𝗶𝗯𝘆𝗮, 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮, 𝗦𝘂𝗱𝗮𝗻, 𝗬𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻, 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶, 𝗖𝘂𝗯𝗮, 𝗟𝗮𝗼𝘀, 𝗦𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮 𝗟𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲, 𝗧𝗼𝗴𝗼, 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗸𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘇𝘂𝗲𝗹𝗮. For many applicants, this pause means delayed adjudications, heightened vetting, and the possibility that existing filings will not move forward until further notice.
At our office, we are taking immediate steps to support clients affected by this change. We are reviewing all active cases connected to these countries to determine how the pause impacts their specific applications. We are updating case strategies, gathering additional evidence to strengthen records in anticipation of increased scrutiny, and advising clients on how to maintain lawful status during the suspension period.
