USCIS Announces Updates to Adjudications Holds and Increased Vetting Procedures
By Michael H. Markovitch, Esq. on April, 23, 2026
Increased Vetting and Security Procedures:
On March 30, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a summary outlining strengthened screening and vetting procedures that it has implemented over the past several months. These measures include enhanced security reviews and changes to how certain immigration benefits are processed. Some of the changes include:
Shortening the validity period of certain work permits
Increased social media vetting
Expanded financial vetting
Additional security-related measures
These measures may lead to longer processing times for some applicants.
Update on Adjudications Holds:
USCIS also confirmed that it has established an internal review process to lift adjudications holds and continue processing individual and group cases following review by multiple USCIS offices.
Holds have already been lifted for the following categories:
o Applicants vetted through Operation PARRIS (a January 2026 DHS/USCIS initiative targeting 5,600+ refugees in Minnesota who have not yet obtained lawful permanent resident (LPR) status.)
o Certain petitions filed by U.S. citizens
o Intercountry adoption applications
o Selected rescheduled naturalization oath ceremonies
o Statutory and regulatory decision issuances
o Refugee registrations for South African nationals
o Certain Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) petitions
o Select employment authorization documents (EADs)
o Asylum applications from no- high risk countries
USCIS stated that it will continue reviewing all application types and will lift holds where appropriate. All this remains very fluid as USCIS is constantly issuing new regulations.
For further information or questions you may have, please do not hesitate to contact The Law Offices of Michael H. Markovitch.