A U.S. district court on 29 June issued a sweeping decision in Dorcas International v. USCIS, striking down an internal agency directive that had placed immigration applications from nationals of 39 countries into indefinite limbo. The so-called “pause,” introduced early in President Trump’s second term, affected everything from adjustment-of-status and work-permit filings to naturalization cases, frustrating employers and separating families for months. Judge Marianne Dalton ruled that USCIS exceeded its statutory authority by refusing even to adjudicate legally filed petitions.
![Federal Judge Orders USCIS to Resume Processing for Nationals of 39 Countries]()
For individuals and companies trying to navigate this fast-changing environment, VisaHQ can help translate legal shifts into practical next steps. Its streamlined online portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/) allows applicants to verify documentation requirements, track processing times, and receive expert guidance for U.S. visas and travel documents, offering a measure of clarity when agency policies create uncertainty.
While the government may request additional evidence or deny an application on the merits, the court held, it cannot impose a blanket hold based solely on an applicant’s nationality. The order requires USCIS to resume processing immediately and to issue decisions within normal service-standard timeframes. For corporate mobility programs, the ruling is significant. Many multinational companies had been unable to advance green-card sponsorship or extend work authorization for employees from the affected countries, forcing costly project reshuffling and, in some cases, repatriation. Employers should monitor case status portals closely; matters that were marked “pending security review” are expected to move forward over the next several weeks. The Justice Department has not yet announced whether it will appeal, but practitioners caution that a stay could be requested. Even so, the decision reinforces a consistent message from the federal courts this term: immigration agencies must follow the plain language of the Immigration and Nationality Act when making—or declining to make—individual case determinations.
For individuals and companies trying to navigate this fast-changing environment, VisaHQ can help translate legal shifts into practical next steps. Its streamlined online portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/) allows applicants to verify documentation requirements, track processing times, and receive expert guidance for U.S. visas and travel documents, offering a measure of clarity when agency policies create uncertainty.
While the government may request additional evidence or deny an application on the merits, the court held, it cannot impose a blanket hold based solely on an applicant’s nationality. The order requires USCIS to resume processing immediately and to issue decisions within normal service-standard timeframes. For corporate mobility programs, the ruling is significant. Many multinational companies had been unable to advance green-card sponsorship or extend work authorization for employees from the affected countries, forcing costly project reshuffling and, in some cases, repatriation. Employers should monitor case status portals closely; matters that were marked “pending security review” are expected to move forward over the next several weeks. The Justice Department has not yet announced whether it will appeal, but practitioners caution that a stay could be requested. Even so, the decision reinforces a consistent message from the federal courts this term: immigration agencies must follow the plain language of the Immigration and Nationality Act when making—or declining to make—individual case determinations.
