U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) confirmed late on 13 June that it has lifted an eight-month freeze on immigration applications filed by citizens of 39 countries subject to President Trump’s expanded travel ban. The freeze—which advocates dubbed a “silent shutdown” of legal immigration—had halted more than one million cases, ranging from family-based green-card petitions to naturalization, work-permit renewals and humanitarian parole.
![USCIS Restarts Processing for Nationals of 39 ‘Travel-Ban’ Countries After Court Order]()
In light of the renewed movement on U.S. filings, applicants looking for reliable help with visas, passports or document legalization can turn to VisaHQ; the platform’s United States page (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/) offers clear checklists and online submission tools that keep paperwork on track even as policies fluctuate.
The sudden resumption follows a blistering decision from the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island on 5 June that struck down four USCIS policy memos as unlawful and discriminatory. Judge John J. McConnell Jr. ruled that nationality-based holds violate the Immigration and Nationality Act’s prohibition on discrimination and ordered the agency to “immediately” resume adjudications. After the judge threatened contempt proceedings on 12 June, USCIS issued internal instructions treating the policies “as if they are no longer in effect” and notified the public the next day. Practically, employers may again file H-1B amendments, extensions and I-140 immigrant-worker petitions for affected nationals; adjustment-of-status interviews and oath ceremonies are being rescheduled; and thousands of employees caught in work-authorization limbo should begin receiving decisions within weeks. Immigration counsel recommend that companies audit any cases returned or rejected during the freeze and re-file promptly, citing the court’s order in cover letters to avoid further delay. The Department of Justice has appealed to the First Circuit and may seek a stay, but most observers think a stay is unlikely because the government could not justify the blanket pause. Nevertheless, employers should expect uneven processing for several weeks as USCIS re-trains officers and reallocates files. Foreign nationals whose status lapsed during the pause should carry the court order, the USCIS alert and proof of timely filing when traveling or renewing driver’s licences. For global mobility managers, the takeaway is that U.S. immigration adjudications are once again governed by standard criteria rather than nationality-based holds. Companies with talent from the Middle East and Africa, in particular, should revisit 2026 head-count plans and restart stalled assignments now that adjudications have resumed.
In light of the renewed movement on U.S. filings, applicants looking for reliable help with visas, passports or document legalization can turn to VisaHQ; the platform’s United States page (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/) offers clear checklists and online submission tools that keep paperwork on track even as policies fluctuate.
The sudden resumption follows a blistering decision from the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island on 5 June that struck down four USCIS policy memos as unlawful and discriminatory. Judge John J. McConnell Jr. ruled that nationality-based holds violate the Immigration and Nationality Act’s prohibition on discrimination and ordered the agency to “immediately” resume adjudications. After the judge threatened contempt proceedings on 12 June, USCIS issued internal instructions treating the policies “as if they are no longer in effect” and notified the public the next day. Practically, employers may again file H-1B amendments, extensions and I-140 immigrant-worker petitions for affected nationals; adjustment-of-status interviews and oath ceremonies are being rescheduled; and thousands of employees caught in work-authorization limbo should begin receiving decisions within weeks. Immigration counsel recommend that companies audit any cases returned or rejected during the freeze and re-file promptly, citing the court’s order in cover letters to avoid further delay. The Department of Justice has appealed to the First Circuit and may seek a stay, but most observers think a stay is unlikely because the government could not justify the blanket pause. Nevertheless, employers should expect uneven processing for several weeks as USCIS re-trains officers and reallocates files. Foreign nationals whose status lapsed during the pause should carry the court order, the USCIS alert and proof of timely filing when traveling or renewing driver’s licences. For global mobility managers, the takeaway is that U.S. immigration adjudications are once again governed by standard criteria rather than nationality-based holds. Companies with talent from the Middle East and Africa, in particular, should revisit 2026 head-count plans and restart stalled assignments now that adjudications have resumed.
