USCIS Updates Processing Holds Lifted for Doctors, Oath Ceremonies and Other Cases
USCIS has lifted processing holds for foreign physicians, oath ceremonies, and other immigration case types and procedures that were paused under the latest travel ban-related vetting review.
The change will allow exemptions for foreign national doctors otherwise subject to the travel ban. It was added late last week to a March 30 USCIS alert about strengthened screening and vetting procedures, according to a comparison of archived versions of the page. USCIS also says it has been reviewing paused cases and deciding when certain applications can move forward again.
Applications associated with medical physicians will continue processing, a DHS spokesperson told the New York Times. USCIS has not confirmed these changes in any other public notice.
In its original alert, USCIS announced that holds had been lifted for the following case types and actions:
- Foreign nationals vetted through Operation PARRIS
- Certain petitions filed by U.S. citizens
- Intercountry adoption forms
- Certain rescheduled naturalization oath ceremonies
- Regulatory decision issuance
- Refugee registrations for South African citizens or nationals
- Certain immigrant visa petitions
- Certain work permit applications
- Asylum applications from high-risk countries
What this means for foreign nationals whose cases were affected
Before USCIS revised the alert, many applicants experienced delayed or canceled appointments without an explanation. Now, by listing the categories where adjudication pauses have ended, USCIS appears to confirm that some of these delays were tied to its broader screening and vetting review.
For doctors, Manifest immigration attorney Ana Gabriela Urizar says to act quickly if their case starts moving again.
“Since USCIS typically does not issue notices that say cases have been ‘unpaused,’ foreign physicians who were affected should monitor their USCIS accounts and mail for any new activity,” she says. “So if you receive a decision, interview notice, or biometrics appointment date, it means your case has resume processing.”
