US mandates expanded security checks for some immigration applicants

US Citizenship and Immigration Services is expanding security vetting for immigration applicants and telling officers not to approve some pending cases until the new checks are completed, according to Reuters and CBS News.

CBS reported that USCIS circulated internal guidance directing officers to resubmit pending asylum, green card and citizenship applications for enhanced FBI background checks. Reuters reported that an internal email said the agency began receiving enhanced criminal-history record information through the FBI’s Next Generation Identification system on April 27.

The reporting says the change affects cases already in the pipeline, with approvals paused until the newly required checks are done. The exact scope of the policy was not clear from the reports, and it is not yet known whether USCIS has issued a public notice beyond internal guidance.

USCIS has also recently moved to tighten other vetting rules. In 2025, the agency said it would begin considering antisemitic activity on social media as grounds for denying some immigration benefit requests.

The new screening push could slow adjudications across several immigration categories if the expanded checks create backlogs or require additional review. For now, the reports describe an internal policy shift rather than a formal public rule change.