Some USCIS Cases May See Delays Under New Biometrics Process

A report published by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) suggests that USCIS has paused adjudicating some pending cases that require biometrics as it implements a new security vetting process.

On April 27, 2026, the federal agency began requiring some applicants with pending cases to re-submit their fingerprints, according to internal guidance reviewed by Reuters. This will allow immigration officers to run applicants against newly expanded FBI criminal-history databases. The guidance received by Reuters also states that USCIS says that "any delay in decision issuance should be brief and resolved ​shortly."

Note that not all types of immigration benefits require biometrics. Manifest Law immigration attorney Ana Gabriela Urizar says, "At this time, the adjudication pause seems unlikely to impact I-140, I-130, or I-129 petitions, since they rarely require fingerprinting."

While USCIS has not officially announced who this policy impacts, attorneys and users on social media have shared that they have experienced delays on the following types of cases so far:

• Adjustment of status
• Naturalization
• Asylum

This is a developing story and at this time, USCIS has not released public, official guidance on this policy change. Manifest’s attorneys will continue to monitor the situation and watch for official guidance from USCIS.