USCIS Policy Guidance on Benefit Adjudications from Citizens of "High-Risk" Countries
Note: This news item was originally posted Jan. 16, 2026; it was updated with additional information and reposted on June 22, 2026.
On June 11, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island issued a final order vacating the policy outlined below. On June 12, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a press release indicating that while they disagree with the order, they will comply and issue updated instructions. On the same day, the U.S. government also filed an appeal so the legal battle continues. The actual impact on pending applications is not yet known. For details about the policy guidance, and its impact, review the information below.
On Jan. 1, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued policy guidance on benefit applications that have been submitted by citizens of countries listed in Presidential Proclamation 10998 (PP10998). This policy memo is different from the entry restrictions outlined in the proclamation, as outlined on the State Department's website, and pertains to benefit applications submitted by people in the U.S. to USCIS.
Per the USCIS policy memo, USCIS:
- Placed a hold on all pending benefit applications for nationals of countries listed in PP 10998.
- Announced a review of policies and procedures for processing benefit requests from nationals of these countries and
- Announced a review of approved benefit requests submitted on or after Jan. 20, 2021 by nationals of the countries listed in PP 10098.
USCIS noted that a hold "allows a case to proceed through processing, up to final adjudication."
What does this mean for students and scholars?
Nationals from one of the countries listed in PP10998 who have or plan to submit applications to USCIS (OPT, change of status, etc.) may still do so, however, expect processing delays while the hold is in effect. At this time, there is no mechanism for expediting processing of these applications.
Nationals from one of these countries who previously had a USCIS application approved on or after Jan. 20, 2021 may receive notification that their prior application is being re-reviewed.
Our team is here to provide support and guidance, so if you have questions or concerns about how this policy guidance may impact you, please do not hesitate to contact OIE at oie@andrew.cmu.edu or 412-268-5231.