What Happened to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)?
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is a federal agency within the Department of Homeland Security responsible for administering the nation's lawful immigration system. In recent years, USCIS has faced significant challenges, including record-high application backlogs, substantial processing delays, and numerous policy shifts impacting fees, asylum procedures, and adjustment of status applications, extending into late 2026.
Quick Answer
As of October 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) continues to grapple with historically high backlogs, exceeding 12 million pending cases, and significantly lengthened processing times across most immigration benefit categories. Recent policy changes in 2026 include a new rule allowing asylum applications to be referred directly to immigration judges without an interview, revised public charge inadmissibility guidance, and increased scrutiny on adjustment of status applications, emphasizing consular processing as the default. The agency also implemented inflation-adjusted fee increases for certain immigration-related filings effective October 16, 2026.
📊Key Facts
📅Complete Timeline15 events
USCIS Established
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is officially established as an agency within the Department of Homeland Security, taking over immigration service functions from the dissolved Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).
Final Rule on Fee Adjustments Published
USCIS publishes a Final Rule adjusting filing fees for various immigration and naturalization benefit applications, with new fees effective April 1, 2024.
Premium Processing Fee Increases Effective
Inflation-adjusted premium processing fees for certain forms (e.g., I-129, I-539, I-765) go into effect, increasing costs and changing processing times from calendar days to business days.
New Fee Schedule Implemented
The new USCIS fee schedule, including a $600 Asylum Program Fee for I-129 and I-140 petitions, takes effect, significantly increasing costs for many applicants, particularly employment-based filings.
Guidance on Family-Based Immigrant Visas Updated
USCIS updates its Policy Manual guidance on family-based immigrant visa petitions (Form I-130), clarifying procedures for correcting errors and routing approved petitions.
Keeping Families Together Parole Process Vacated
A U.S. District Court vacates the 'Keeping Families Together' parole process, leading USCIS to cease adjudication of pending I-131F applications and intake of new ones.
H-1B Proclamation and Fee Implemented
A Presidential Proclamation restricts entry of certain nonimmigrant workers, requiring an additional $100,000 payment for specific H-1B petitions filed on or after September 21, 2025.
New Naturalization Civics Test Implemented
USCIS begins administering the new 2025 naturalization civics test for N-400 applications filed on or after this date.
Pause on Asylum and Immigration Applications
The Trump administration places an indefinite hold on all asylum applications and other immigration benefits requests from individuals from 19 'Travel Ban' countries.
Partial Lift of Asylum Pause
USCIS announces it will lift its pause on processing applications for "thoroughly screened asylum seekers from non high-risk countries," though specific guidance on 'high-risk' countries is not immediately provided.
Adjustment of Status Policy Shift
USCIS issues a new policy memorandum stating that adjustment of status (AOS) is a discretionary form of immigrant relief, emphasizing consular processing abroad as the default path to a green card.
Asylum Referrals Without Interview Rule
USCIS issues an interim final rule allowing asylum officers to refer certain affirmative asylum applications directly to Immigration Judges without an interview, aiming to reduce backlogs.
Reinforced Evidence Standards for Benefit Requests
USCIS clarifies that benefit requestors must establish eligibility at the time of filing and restores officers' discretion to deny incomplete requests without first issuing an RFE or NOID.
Public Charge Policy Changes Effective
Major changes to the public charge policy take effect, rescinding the 2022 Biden-era regulations and giving immigration officers more discretion to consider a broader range of means-tested public benefits.
FY2027 Inflation-Adjusted Fees Effective
New inflation-adjusted fees for certain H.R. 1 immigration-related filings, reflecting inflation from July 2025 through July 2026, become effective.
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🔍Deep Dive Analysis
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), established on March 1, 2003, as a successor to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), is the federal agency tasked with administering the country's naturalization and immigration system. Its core mission is to uphold America's promise as a nation of welcome and possibility with fairness, integrity, and respect, focusing exclusively on the administration of benefit applications, while immigration enforcement falls under Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
In recent years, USCIS has been characterized by persistent and growing backlogs, which have become a defining challenge. By early 2026, the agency was managing over 11 million pending cases, a figure that surged to over 12 million by the end of FY2026 Q2, marking the largest backlog in the agency's history. This increase occurred despite a significant decrease in new filings, with the average backlog clearance time nearly doubling from 9.4 months in FY2025 Q1 to 18.6 months in FY2026 Q1. The slowdown is attributed to sustained high application volumes, staffing limitations, ongoing technology modernization, and policy-driven holds.
Several significant policy changes have been implemented from 2024 through 2026. In April 2024, USCIS enacted a final rule adjusting filing fees for many immigration and naturalization benefit applications, including a new $600 Asylum Program Fee for I-129 and I-140 petitions, and an increase in the H-1B cap registration fee (effective FY2026). Premium processing fees also saw increases and their adjudication periods were extended from calendar days to business days. In May 2024, USCIS updated guidance for family-based immigrant visa petitions to clarify processing procedures.
2025 and 2026 brought further shifts. In September 2025, a new 2025 naturalization civics test was announced for N-400 applications filed on or after October 20, 2025. December 2025 saw the Trump administration place an indefinite hold on asylum applications and other benefits from certain 'Travel Ban' countries, which was partially lifted in March 2026 for "non high-risk countries," though the definition of these countries remained unclear. A major policy shift occurred in May 2026, with USCIS announcing that adjustment of status (AOS) is a discretionary form of relief, emphasizing consular processing abroad as the default path to a green card and signaling heightened scrutiny for I-485 applications. In July 2026, USCIS introduced an interim final rule allowing asylum officers to refer asylum applications directly to Immigration Judges without an interview, aiming to reduce the backlog. August 2026 saw USCIS clarify that benefit requestors must establish eligibility at the time of filing, restoring officers' discretion to deny incomplete requests without first issuing a Request for Evidence (RFE) or Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID). Furthermore, new guidance on the public charge ground of inadmissibility, effective September 18, 2026, rescinded the 2022 Biden-era regulations and allows officers to consider a broader range of means-tested public benefits.
The current status as of October 2026 indicates continued processing slowdowns and growing backlogs. While naturalization (N-400) processing times have shown some improvement in certain offices (5-7 months median), other categories like family-based adjustment of status (I-485) can take 12-20 months, and I-751 removal of conditions can extend to 16-28 months. USCIS also announced inflation-adjusted fee increases for certain H.R. 1 immigration-related fees, effective October 16, 2026. The agency's efficiency ratio (completions by receipts) has remained below 1 for eleven consecutive quarters, contributing to the persistent backlog. The director of USCIS is Joseph Edlow, with James Kernochan serving as Deputy Director.
What If...?
Explore alternate histories. What if U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) made different choices?