The Trump administration has halted review of certain visa, green card, work authorization and naturalization applications for people born in 39 countries, leaving hundreds of thousands — possibly millions — of applicants stranded legally and financially. The interim policy, linked to a travel ban put in place after an Afghan national shot two National Guardsmen in Washington, D.C., has stopped adjudications for people born in places from Nigeria to Myanmar and Venezuela. Officials say the delay is needed so U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) can strengthen identity checks and vetting; critics say it arbitrarily strips people of lawful paths and raises the risk of deportation.
Those directly affected describe sudden job losses, stalled promotions and interrupted educational or professional plans, along with the stress of watching legal status approach expiration. NPR spoke with more than a dozen people who asked to remain anonymous and whose accounts were reported using initials.
A, a clinical research lead in cancer from Myanmar who has worked in Ohio since 2016, lost an anticipated promotion after USCIS paused her work-authorization renewal. M, who arrived from Nigeria in 2011 for college and graduate study and matched into a surgical residency in Oregon, had her visa and work-permit processing freeze and fears she may not be able to start the program. P, a recent engineering master’s graduate in Texas who came to the U.S. in 2023, says he has had to reject several job offers because his work permit cannot be processed, leaving him barely able to pay bills.
Some applicants paid up to $3,000 for premium processing — a faster-decision service — only to have those requests stalled as well. David Bier of the Cato Institute estimates the government has taken in more than $1 billion in premium-processing fees that have not produced decisions.
The pause reverberates across industries that depend on foreign-born talent, including health care, technology, energy and higher education. Immigrants account for a significant share of workers in STEM and other specialized fields; employers report losing staff, failing to fill roles and being unable to hire qualified candidates when authorizations are frozen.
U.S. citizens sponsoring immigrant spouses are also affected. Isaac Narvaez Gomez, an American born in Venezuela, said his wife — who holds multiple citizenships — saw a green-card petition stall because the forms require country of birth. Some holds in their case were lifted, but other paperwork remains unprocessed, delaying joint banking, insurance, home purchases and family planning.
The administration defends the pause as a national-security measure. A Homeland Security spokesperson said verifying identities and histories from the designated countries requires a rigorous process, and USCIS paused adjudications to ensure thorough vetting. Supporters contend the move signals that immigration benefits are not automatic for applicants from countries that do not cooperate on travel and security matters.
But the policy is one piece of broader interior-enforcement changes: naturalization has slowed, previously approved applications are being re-reviewed, visa programs have tightened, and proposals such as a $100,000 fee overhaul for H-1B workers have been floated. Campaign rhetoric promising green cards for graduating foreign students has not translated into protections for current applicants from the paused countries.
The holds are uneven. About half of the 39 countries face partial restrictions that allow some travel categories or include exemptions for certain dual nationals and persecuted individuals, but those carve-outs often do not help people already in the U.S. seeking renewals or work authorization.
Legal challenges are multiplying. At least 33 lawsuits have been filed by individuals and advocacy groups. Immigration attorney Zachary New, representing more than 500 clients, estimates roughly half of USCIS applications are affected by travel-ban-linked pauses. An NPR analysis found nearly 12 million applications awaiting USCIS decisions, with roughly 247,000 not even opened.
Court filings have revealed that some programs, like Optional Practical Training (OPT) for international students, are effectively being blocked for nationals of certain countries such as Iran. In one Northern California case, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction ordering USCIS to decide by a set date on work-authorization applications for a group of Iranians and a Sudanese citizen, noting tension between government claims that the holds are both indefinite and subject to timely decision.
Immigration advocates warn of interior-enforcement fallout: if authorizations lapse, people may face arrest, detention or removal. Critics argue the policy makes lawful compliance harder and will increase deportations. New says clients who have followed the rules are suddenly forced to consider splitting families, selling homes or returning to countries they left — harms that cannot easily be undone even if processing resumes.
Personal accounts underscore the stakes. S, a U.S. citizen, filed for her Haitian wife to gain permanent residence; the paperwork is stuck and the couple’s future is uncertain. L, an assistant professor born in Iran who holds Canadian citizenship, fears his employer’s H-1B renewal could be denied despite long ties to U.S. academia, potentially separating his family.
Some courts have ordered relief for narrow groups, but other suits move slowly and unpredictably. The administration continues to argue the extra screening is essential for national security; opponents call the policy arbitrary and deeply harmful to people who followed the legal process.
Attorneys and affected individuals say the consequences go beyond months of delay: missed residency spots, derailed careers, drained savings and fractured families. As litigation continues and USCIS maintains its enhanced vetting posture, thousands remain in limbo, unsure whether they can legally live and work in the U.S. or face deportation — outcomes with real personal and national economic consequences.