Late Saturday, U-S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has resumed adjudicating thousands of immigration applications that had been on hold under four internal policy memos vacated by the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island on June 5 and clarified on June 11. The agency’s statement meets Judge John J. McConnell Jr.’s 24-hour compliance deadline and averts threatened contempt proceedings. The reversed policies had required officers to place discretionary benefits—such as adjustment-of-status, parole-in-place and work-permit requests—into indefinite limbo if applicants were nationals of 39 countries affected by the 2025 travel-ban proclamation. Employers and foreign professionals reported months-long standstills, derailing start dates and complicating corporate assignment planning. With the freeze lifted, USCIS has directed field offices to “immediately resume normal processing” and to clear backlogs in order of original filing date. Practitioners anticipate a surge of approval notices and biometric-services appointments over the next several weeks. However, the Justice Department has indicated it will seek a stay pending appeal, meaning the operational window could be short-lived. For businesses, the development offers a critical—if possibly temporary—reprieve. Mobility managers should identify affected cases, brief talent leads on refreshed timelines, and budget for premium-processing upgrades once reopened. Human-resources teams are also advised to document project delays attributable to the hold to support recaptured visa-validity periods or contractual extensions. Long term, the litigation highlights growing judicial skepticism toward sweeping, nationality-based holds that are not explicitly authorised by statute. Companies with globally mobile workforces should monitor the appellate docket and prepare alternative visa strategies should the stay be granted.
