Asylum Processing Restarts: What Applicants Need to Know Now

After a prolonged nationwide pause, certain affirmative asylum applications filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services ("USCIS") are beginning to move forward again.

The pause began in 2025, after a security incident in Washington, D.C., stopped decisions on all affirmative asylum cases.

While asylum officers were still permitted to review files during that time, they were not issuing final decisions.

Recent updates from the Department of Homeland Security indicate that this broad suspension is now being gradually lifted. As a result, some applicants may begin to see progress in their cases.

However, this change is limited. Many individuals with pending asylum applications should still expect delays, and there is currently no clear or uniform timeline for when decisions will be issued.

Additional Restrictions Remain in Place

Importantly, additional restrictions remain in place:

• Applicants from 39 designated high-risk countries continue to face a hold on their cases.

• A broader pause affecting certain immigration processes for nationals of 75 countries has not yet been lifted.

What this means

Your case may finally see progress—or continue to be delayed depending on your situation. Strategy is now more important than ever. These developments could directly impact case processing time and expectations. 

We handle immigration cases across all 50 states.

If you have a pending affirmative asylum case, of if you have questions about how these changes may affect your case, contact us today to review your case and plan your next steps.

Do not wait until it’s too late to understand your options.