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Our purpose is simple: to dismantle the black box of immigration law and give you information you can trust, without the stuffy legal jargon.

Today’s memo is brought to you by Ana Gabriela Urizar, an immigration lawyer with almost a decade of experience and over 15,000 cases filed.

​The federal government recently announced that USCIS will review previously approved Green Cards and pause certain pending cases for applicants from 19 “high-risk countries.” Having worked on cases during the 2017 travel ban, I’ve seen how policy shifts like this can create meaningful delays and uncertainty in the immigration process.

If you’re currently navigating the U.S. immigration system, here’s what you need to know:

USCIS’s announcement may affect people from the 19 “high-risk” countries in two ways, depending on your situation:

In either situation, here are a few practical steps impacted individuals should keep in mind:

We’ll continue monitoring this closely. If you’d like to discuss how this may affect your case, you can request a consultation with Manifest Law here or book a 15-minute call with our attorneys to ask your legal questions.

Keep reading for more insights and news from the desk of Manifest’s immigration attorneys.

Sincerely, 

👮🏻 State Department Will Vet the Social Media Profiles of H-1B, H-4 Applicants: Starting December 15, H-1B and H-4 applicants going through consular processing will need to keep their social media profiles public so immigration officers can review their content.

Attorney Insight: “Keep your social media profiles safe from inflammatory statements, keep them public, and avoid posting content that could be misinterpreted as going against the national interest of the U.S.”

📋 USCIS Freezes Processing for 19 Countries: The federal agency has paused all asylum decisions and issued a hold for most immigration benefits for nationals of 19 “high-risk countries of concern.”

Attorney Insight:“If your case has been frozen because you were born in one of the 19 listed countries, speak with an immigration attorney immediately to understand your risks and protect your options moving forward.”

🚩 USCIS Shortens Work Permits of Select Immigration Categories: Instead of lasting five years, the validity period of work permits for those who applied for asylum or other humanitarian immigration programs will now be reduced.

As of December 2025, EB-1 cases take 18-20.5 months to process. Depending on which EB-1 category you’re filing under, you may experience shorter wait times. Check out our EB-1 Processing Times guide, updated as of December 2025 with the latest data from USCIS.

The Visa Bulletin is a monthly publication from the U.S. Department of State that shows which Green Card applications can move forward based on the applicant’s “priority date.” 

For EB-1 filers, below are the dates outlined by the latest Visa Bulletin:

If you’re interested in when you can file, check out our Visa Bulletin guide.

As of Q3 of fiscal year 2025, the approval rate for EB-1 petitions is 79.7%. Regardless of which subcategory you apply for, the EB-1 Green Card has a relatively high success rate compared to other visa categories. Check out our guide to see the latest data from USCIS and how it’s changed over time.

As of December 2025, EB-1 cases take 19.5 months to process. Curious to see how long an immigration officer may take to process your initial application? Check out our EB-2 NIW Processing Times guide, updated as of December 2025 with the latest data from USCIS.

For EB-2 filers, below are the filing dates outlined by the latest Visa Bulletin:

If you’re interested in when you can file, check out our Visa Bulletin guide.

As of Q3 of fiscal year 2025, the approval rate for EB-2 NIW petitions is 54%. Despite backlogs and tighter scrutiny from USCIS, strong EB-2 NIW cases still have a good chance of being approved. Check out our guide to see the latest data from USCIS and how it’s changed over time.