Expanded USCIS Background Checks and AI Vetting Policies Delay Green Card and Citizenship Applicants

Millions of legal immigrants waiting for green cards, citizenship, or asylum decisions in the US have been thrown into administrative limbo after the Trump administration ordered expanded FBI background checks on all pending immigration cases, with officers told not to approve any application that hasn't cleared the new screening.

How the New Checks Work

US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) distributed internal guidance last week instructing officers to resubmit pending applications for green cards, naturalisation, asylum, and family sponsorship petitions to enhanced FBI background checks, according to internal documents first reported by CBS News and independently reviewed by Reuters.

The directive took effect on 27 April, when USCIS began receiving what it calls 'enhanced criminal history record information' through the FBI's Next Generation Identification system.

The policy doesn't just apply to new filings. Officers were told to resubmit fingerprint-based screenings for any case where the FBI data was received before 27 April. Until those cases clear the expanded checks, no approvals can be issued.

Why the Halt Matters Now

The freeze hits an already overwhelmed system. USCIS data shows approximately 11.6 million cases are currently pending across all application types, the largest backlog in the agency's history. An NPR analysis published earlier this month found that processing slowdowns have left hundreds of thousands of immigrants unable to work legally, exposed to deportation risks, or waiting months without even a receipt confirming their applications were received.

The new checks affect anyone who submits fingerprints as part of their application, from people seeking permanent residency and US citizenship to asylum applicants and relatives sponsored by American citizens. For families that have waited years for a decision, the directive adds another layer of uncertainty with no clear end date.

AI and Automated Screening Enter the Process

The expanded background checks are part of a broader overhaul of USCIS vetting practices announced on 30 March. Beyond criminal history databases, the agency has rolled out social media screenings to flag what it considers 'anti-American' views, automated biometric matching systems that send real-time alerts on new criminal information, and additional Department of State database checks before any case can be finalised.

USCIS also launched Operation PARRIS, a programme that subjects refugees and asylum applicants to re-interviews and additional case reviews. The agency said its own internal review found that prior vetting measures were 'wholly inadequate'.

The changes trace back to Executive Order 14385, signed by President Trump on 6 February, which directed the Justice Department to give USCIS access to FBI criminal history records 'to the maximum extent permitted by law.'

No Timeline for Resolution

USCIS spokesperson Zach Kahler confirmed the agency 'has implemented new security checks to strengthen the vetting and screening of applicants.' He added that any delay 'should be brief and resolved shortly,' but provided no specific timeline.

The expanded checks are the latest in a series of measures that have tightened legal immigration since Trump returned to office. USCIS previously paused all asylum cases, a freeze that was scaled back last month but still applies to nationals of at least 39 countries listed under presidential proclamations restricting entry on national security grounds.

Human rights groups and civil liberties organisations have criticised the broader crackdown, arguing it violates due process and creates an unsafe environment for ethnic minorities. Immigration attorneys say the practical effect is to slow lawful immigration without changing any of the statutes that govern it.

For the millions of people who followed every rule and filed every form, the message is the same. Wait longer.