PARTIAL RESUMPTION OF AFFIRMATIVE ASYLUM ADJUDICATIONS AFTER 2025 PAUSE

The administration has initiated a partial rollback of the prior suspension on affirmative asylum adjudications, allowing USCIS to resume processing certain cases after a broad pause implemented in late 2025. Under the revised policy, adjudications will move forward for applicants from countries not subject to current travel restrictions, while cases involving individuals from designated countries may remain on hold pending additional security review. As a result, thousands of pending applications may begin progressing after months of inactivity; however, processing times are expected to remain uneven, with ongoing backlogs and potential case-by-case delays. This approach may also introduce nationality-based disparities in adjudication timelines and outcomes. Applicants should expect continued uncertainty, including the possibility of additional evidence requests or extended security screening, and should anticipate a gradual, rather than immediate, normalization of processing.