The United States has suspended all immigration applications and citizenship ceremonies for nationals of 19 countries affected by previous travel restrictions.
On December 2, 2025, U.S. authorities ordered a halt to green card applications, naturalization requests, and scheduled oath-taking ceremonies for immigrants from the affected countries.
The freeze applies to both new applicants and individuals already in the U.S. whose cases were approved but not yet finalized.
Those awaiting citizenship ceremonies now face indefinite delays.
The countries affected are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
U.S. immigration officials said the freeze is part of heightened national security measures following recent incidents involving foreign nationals, including a shooting in Washington, D.C., that prompted a review of immigration and security procedures.
The review will include additional background checks and, in some cases, new interviews before applications can proceed.
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Critics of the policy argue that it amounts to collective punishment based solely on nationality, creating uncertainty for thousands of migrants and disrupting legal immigration pathways.
Immigrants affected by the freeze now face extended delays, with no clear timeline for resuming processing of their applications.
The decision has drawn concerns over due process, the impact on families, and the broader implications for U.S. immigration policy, particularly for individuals who have been living in the country legally and awaiting citizenship.