USCIS Holds Diversity Visa Adjustment of Status Applications for Review

U.S. Department of Homeland Security U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services www.uscis.gov U.S. C itiz ens hip a nd I mm igrat ion Ser vices Office of the Dire ctor Camp Sp ring s, MD 20588 - 0009 December 19, 2025 PM-602-0193 Policy Memorandum SUBJECT: Hold and Review of Pending USCIS Adjustment of Status Applications Filed by Aliens Und er the D iversity Immigra nt Visa Pro gram Purpo se Effec tive immedia tely, this memora ndum dire cts U.S. Citizensh ip and I mmigration Ser vices (USCIS) personnel to: 1. Place a ho ld 1 on all pending adjustmen t of status, a ncillar y benefits, and ass ociated wai ver applications, for aliens 2 who are applying to adjust to lawful permanent resident status under the Diver sity Immigra nt Visa (DV) Program 3 pending a comprehensive review; 4 and 2. Conduct a comprehensive review of all policies, procedures, and screening and vetting processes for a djustment of status, ancilla ry benefi t s, and asso ciated waiv er applicat ions 5 by aliens see king adjustment of status under the DV Program. 6 This direc tive mand ates that all a liens with pe nding adju stment of sta tus, anc illary benefits, and waiver applications meeting th ese criteria undergo a thorough review process, including an interview for the Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (Form I-485) 7 and, if necess ary, a re - interview, to fully asse ss all nationa l secur ity, crimina l, and rela ted grounds of inadmissibility and deportation. 8 All case d ecision s and reviews are done on a case -by- case b asis 1 A “hold” al low s a ca se to p roc eed thro ugh proces si ng, up to final adju dication. A “final adjudica tion” refers to t he issuance of a final decision on a case, such as an approval, denial, or dismissal. 2 The term "alien" means any person not a citi zen or national of the United States. S ee INA 101(a) (3). 3 The DV Pro gram allows aliens fro m countries with lo w immigration rates to the United States to submit an e ntry for a chance to a pply f or a n immigr ant vis a in the next fisca l year. See INA 203(c). 4 The spous e or chi ld of a DV pr incipal appl icant a ccompa nying or follow ing t o join as a D V derivat ive ap plica nt is not automati call y or broa dly exem pt from this hold. 5 Applica tions a ssoc iated w ith the adjust ment o f stat us under t he DV Program i nclude Form I - 485 (A pplicat ion t o Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status); Form I - 765 (Appli cati on for Em ployme nt A uthoriza tion) under 8 CF R 274a.12(c) (9); F orm I - 131 (Appl ic ation fo r Tra vel Doc uments, Parol e Document s, an d Ar rival/ Departur e Recor ds); Form I - 601 (Appli cati on for Wai ver of Grou nds of I nadmis sibi lit y); Form I - 21 2 (Appl icati on for P ermis sion to R eapply for Admis sion int o the Unite d St ates After De portati on or Re moval); and For m I - 824 (A ppl icat ion for Ac tio n on an Approved A pplicat ion or Peti ti on). No ot her a pplicat ions, pe ti tions, or benef it reques ts a re i ncluded in this hold. 6 I f risks r elate d to nat ional s ec urity, p ublic safet y, or fra ud ar e determined for a s pecif ic popul ation, a re - review of approved benefit reques ts for tha t popul ation ma y be re quire d. 7 For benefi t re quests where an inte rview i s not req uired (all of the re quest s previ ousl y lis ted apart from F orm I - 485), the case review and evaluation will determine if the alien needs to appear at a USCIS office for an in - person i nter view. 8 See INA 212(a)(2)- (3) a nd 237(a) (2) and (4).

PM-602-0193: Hold and Review of Pending USCIS Adjustment of Status Applications Filed by Aliens Und er the D iversity Immigra nt Visa Pro gram Page: 2 and require an analysis of the relevant information and facts. During this review, relevant policies, procedures, and operational guidance will be reviewed for compliance, accuracy, and needed improvements. This guidance specifies which cases are subject to the adjudicative hold and outlines the factors to consider when assessing benefit eligibility during the review, interview, or re- intervie w of affected aliens. USCIS personn el are in structed to p riorit ize national s ecurity an d publi c safety con cerns and ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations during the adjudication process. All findings must be documented in accordance with established protocols to support any subsequent determinations or actions. This memo does not supersede any other guidance regarding hold and review of applications by certain al iens. 9 Backgr ound On January 20, 2025, the President issued Executive Order (EO) 14161, titled Protec ting the United States from Foreign Terrorist and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats. This order aimed to safeguard U.S. citize ns from a liens who may se ek to co mmit terrorist a cts, pose th reats to national security, promote hateful ideologies, or exploit immigration laws for malicious purposes. EO 14161 underscores the importance of vigilance during the visa issuance process to ensure that individuals approved for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans or compromise U.S. national interests. President Trump has consistently expressed his strong concerns that the DV P rogram does not serve the interests of the United States and that the program, as structured and implemented, does not result in the immigration of people who are well-disposed to the good order and happiness of the United States and fails to keep our country safe. President Trump has repeatedly urged Congress to end the program because of his concerns and to restructure our immigration system to better serve the country’s needs. The recent mass shooting at Brown University and the murder of a distinguished professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology allegedly committed by an alien admitted to the United States through this program again highlights the threat to our national security and public safety presen t in certain a reas of our immigr ation syste m. This is just the la test inc ident, of cour se. As the Secretary noted in her statement, an alien admitted to the United States through the DV P rogram viciously attacked civilians in New York City in 2017 with a truck, killing eight people and injuring 13 others. The alien that committed that terrorist act was inspired by ISIS and is currently serving eight consecutive life sentences plus 260 years in prison. However, the alien should neve r have been in a position to commit such an attack. While we await further action from Congress to tighten our immigra tion system, it is c ritical th at we ta ke all steps with in our autho rity to prote ct our national security and public safety. 9 For example, USCIS issu ed a similar hold memorand um on December 2, 20 25. See P olic y Memoran dum, Hol d and Review of all Pending Asylum Applicat ions a nd all U SCIS Benef it Appl icati ons Fil ed by Al ie ns fr om High - Risk Coun tries, issued on De cembe r 2, 2025 (PM - 602 - 01 92).

PM-602-0193: Hold and Review of Pending USCIS Adjustment of Status Applications Filed by Aliens Und er the D iversity Immigra nt Visa Pro gram Page: 3 Accordingly, Secretary Noem has di rected USC IS to pause its role in the DV Prog ram to safeguard the national security and public safety of the United States and its citizens. Secretary No em has found this action necessary to ensure that aliens who seek adjustment of status through this program pose no threat to Americans. It is pa ramount that the U.S. governme nt ensure aliens in the United States do not intend to threaten its citizens or undermine or destabilize its culture, government, institutions, or founding principles. Benefits will not be granted to aliens who advocate for, aid, or support designated foreig n terrori sts or other threats to our national security. Benefit s will not be granted to aliens who are a threat to public safety. America’s immigration system should serve and safeguard Americans’ interest. As a result of these considerations, the Secret ary has direct ed USCIS to paus e the final adjudication of adjustment of status, ancillary benefits, and waiver applications filed by aliens seeking lawful permanent resident status under the DV Program. The applications filed by aliens associated with adjustment of status under the DV Progra m are: • Applicatio n to Register Permane nt Residence or Adjust Status (For m I -485); • Application for Employment Authorization (Form I-765) based on 8 CFR 274a.12(c)(9); • Request for an Advance Parole Document filed using the Application for Travel Document s, Parole Do cument s, and Arrival /Depar ture Records (Form I -131); • Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility (Form I-601); • Application for Permission to Reapply for Admission into the United States After Deportation or Removal (Form I-212); and • Application for Action on an Approved Application or Petition (Form I-824). No other applications, petitions, or benefit requests are included in this hold. This hold will rema in in effec t until lifted or modified b y the USCIS Dir ector, or at the direction of the Secretary, through a subsequent memorandum. Any requests to lift the hold due to litigation or other extraordinary circumstances must receive approval from the USCIS Director or Deputy Director. 10 Guidanc e The Secr etary has d etermined that there is a necessi ty to ensu re that all ali ens appl ying for adjustment of status under the DV Program in the United States do not pose a threa t to national security or public safety. This effort ensures that USCIS exercise s its full au thority to inve stigate immigration benefit requests filed by aliens who may pose risks to the national security and public safety of the United States, as outlined in DHS Delegation of Authority 0150.1, issued June 5, 2003. 10 Extraor dinary circums tances may i nclude appli cations file d by ali ens whos e adjus tment of s tat us or grant of an ancillary benefit or waiver would serve a U.S. nat ional inter est. Any reques t fo r an exe mpti on to the a djudi cative hold must be c oordinat ed wit h the Offi ce of Pol icy a nd Strat egy.

PM-602-0193: Hold and Review of Pending USCIS Adjustment of Status Applications Filed by Aliens Und er the D iversity Immigra nt Visa Pro gram Page: 4 USCIS will conduct a thorough review on a case-by- case basis to assess bene fit eligibility, including whether: 1. The alien is listed in the Terrori st Screeni ng Data set (TSDS) as a Known or S uspected Terrorist (KST) under Tier 1 or Tier 2 classifications or is included in Tier 3 or Tier 4 of the TSDS with significant derogatory information related to the alien. 2. The alien is connected to prior, current, or planned involvement in, or association with, an activity, individual, or organization described in sections 212(a)(3)(A), (B), or (F), or 237(a)(4)(A) or (B) of th e Immigration an d Nationali ty Act (INA). 3. The alien is linked to prior, current, or planned involvement in, or association with, an activity, individual, or organization that may pose a risk of serious harm or danger to the community, typically, though not exclusively, due to criminal conduct de scribed in INA 101(a)(43), 212(a)(1)(A)(iii), 212(a)(2), 237(a)(2), or 237(a)(4)(A)(ii), or related classified informatio n exists. 4. The alien is unable to establish his or her identity. 11 Implementation of the Secretary’s order will result in delay to the adjudication of some pending applications and DHS has weighed that consequence against the urgent need for the agency to ensure that applicants are vetted and screened to the maximum degre e poss ible. Ultimately, D HS has determined that the burden of processing delays that will fall on some applicants is necessary and appropriate in this instance, when weighed against the agency’s obligation to protect and preserve our national security and protec t Americans fr om harm. Use This policy memorandum is intended solely for the guidance of USCIS personnel in the performance of their official duties, but it does not remove their discretion in making adjudicatory decisions. It may not be relied upon to create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable under law or by any individual or other party in removal proceedings, in litigation with the United States, or in any other form or manner. 11 See USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 1, Genera l Poli cies and P rocedures, Part E, Adj udicat ions, Chapt er 8, Discretiona ry Analysis [1 U SCIS - PM E.8 ].