Blog

Administrative Hold on Application Processing

In February, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Service (USCIS) leadership issued a memo to its offices announcing that it was placing an administrative hold on processing all applications for benefits such as permanent residence, employment authorization, asylum, or travel permission, for those who entered the U.S. visa parole under programs for Ukrainians, Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans.  The administrative hold prohibits the USCIS from approving or otherwise acting on such applications.

Reason for the Administrative Hold

USCIS leadership states that this administrative hold is necessary because it believes that parolees under these programs were not properly vetted before being paroled into the U.S. and that enhanced background checks must be completed must be completed before additional benefits may be granted.  Applications and petitions at the USCIS will remain in limbo until the administrative hold is lifted.  USCIS has offered no information about how long the hold may stay in place.

Termination Notices Issued to Parolees

In the last few days, parolees from these countries have received foreboding notices in their USCIS online accounts.  These notices tell parolees that their parole is being terminated no later than April 24, 2025 and instructing them to depart NOW or no later than April 24, 2025.  The notices threaten people with removal if they have not departed or obtained some other lawful status.

Recommended Actions for Affected Individuals

The upshot of this is that those who qualify for benefits such as adjustment of status, asylum, adjustment of status under the Cuban Adjustment Act, or Temporary Protected Status, U Visas, T visas, or Special Immigrant Juvenile classification should apply under those programs as soon as possible.  Individuals should do this despite the existing pause on adjudications.  The pause does not prevent the USCIS from receiving and accepting applications.

Individuals paroled into the U.S. from Ukraine, Cuban, Nicaragua, Haiti, and Venezuela should immediately seek counsel to determine how best to protect themselves from removal due to termination of parole.