DHS suspended green card processing for refugees and asylees in early 2025 through two overlapping actions: a January 20 executive order that shut down the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, and a March USCIS directive that placed a temporary hold on all refugee and asylee I-485 adjudications. The internal hold was lifted around April 10, 2025, but processing has not returned to its earlier pace. Enhanced vetting, added interview requirements, and a refugee admissions ceiling of just 7,500 for FY2026 have kept the system moving slowly into 2026, and several 2025 policy changes now hit applicants who are stuck waiting.
What Happened and Where Things Stand Now
The first action was the January 20, 2025 executive order suspending the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. It directed the Secretary of Homeland Security to stop deciding refugee status applications effective January 27, 2025, pending a review of whether resuming the program serves U.S. interests.1The White House. Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program The order set 90-day reporting cycles and preserved case-by-case admissions where Homeland Security and State find a national interest.
The second action reached people already inside the United States. Around March 21, 2025, USCIS issued an internal directive placing a temporary hold on all refugee and asylee I-485 adjudications. Government documents released through a FOIA request described the pause as lasting no longer than two weeks, tied to additional screening for fraud, public safety, and national security concerns under Executive Orders 14161 and 14157. The hold was lifted around April 10, 2025, with USCIS signaling that further guidance would follow on which cases could proceed without an interview.
Adjudications resumed, but not at the old pace. Reduced staffing for these case types, expanded interview requirements, and the FY2026 refugee admissions ceiling of 7,500 people have kept throughput well below historical levels.2Federal Register. Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2026 If your application was pending before March 2025, expect a longer wait than the posted processing time. If you plan to file, budget for the same.
Refugees vs. Asylees: What Changed for Each
The rules differ by category, and the differences matter more now that timelines have stretched.
Refugees
If you were admitted as a refugee, filing for adjustment of status is required, not optional. Federal regulations direct you to apply one year after entry so USCIS can determine your admissibility.3eCFR. 8 CFR 209.1 – Adjustment of Status of Refugees When your application is approved, your permanent residence date is backdated to your arrival, which counts toward the five-year residency needed for naturalization.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1159 – Adjustment of Status of Refugees Refugees pay no I-485 filing fee5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1055 Fee Schedule and are not subject to numerical limits when adjusting status.
Asylees
If you were granted asylum, adjustment is discretionary. The statute says the Secretary of Homeland Security “may adjust” your status if you apply, have been physically present for at least one year after your asylum grant, and meet other eligibility requirements. You can file the I-485 before hitting the one-year mark, but USCIS cannot approve it until you meet that physical presence requirement.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Green Card for Asylees When approved, the permanent residence date is recorded as one year before approval, effectively shortening the wait for naturalization eligibility to about four years.
Asylees also face a bottleneck refugees do not: federal law caps asylee adjustments at 10,000 per fiscal year. When eligible asylees exceed that number, cases sit in a queue waiting for a slot to open. The cap is statutory, so no administrative fix can widen it. Combined with the 2025 slowdown, the queue is longer than it was.
What the Slowdown Costs You in Practice
Waiting longer for a green card was already inconvenient. Three 2025 changes made it more expensive and more precarious.
EAD Automatic Extensions Ended
DHS ended the automatic extension of Employment Authorization Documents effective October 30, 2025.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. DHS Ends Automatic Extension of Employment Authorization Under the old rule, a timely renewal filing kept your current EAD valid while USCIS processed it. That safety net is gone for most categories. Renewals filed on or after October 30, 2025 will not extend your existing card past its printed expiration date. USCIS now recommends filing renewals up to 180 days before expiration to reduce the chance of a work-authorization gap. Refugees have employment authorization as a condition of admission, so this hits asylees hardest.
New $550 Asylee EAD Fee
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), signed July 4, 2025, established a fee of at least $550 for asylees applying for initial employment authorization.8Congress.gov. H.R. 1 – 119th Congress (2025-2026) The fee did not exist before. For asylees stuck behind the 10,000-per-year cap, this is a new cost layered on top of a longer wait.
Medicaid, CHIP, and Medicare Restrictions Coming in FY2027
The same legislation restricts federal payment for Medicaid and CHIP, starting in FY2027, generally to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and certain other categories. Refugees, asylees, and parolees are excluded under the new rules, and similar restrictions apply to Medicare. Green card approval would restore eligibility, which raises the stakes on how long your case sits in queue.
Keeping Your Application Alive While You Wait
A pending case can be denied for reasons unrelated to its merits if you miss a procedural obligation. Two matter most during a slowdown.
Address Changes
If you move, you must notify USCIS within 10 days by filing Form AR-11 online or by mail.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. AR-11, Alien’s Change of Address Card Missed notices can lead to denied applications or legal penalties. The requirement stays in effect during processing freezes.
International Travel
Leaving the United States while your I-485 is pending is risky without the right paperwork. Refugees and asylees need a Refugee Travel Document, obtained by filing Form I-131 before departure. Leaving without one can prevent re-entry or trigger removal proceedings.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Travel Documents File the I-131 well in advance because processing takes time and there is no expedited option for most applicants.
Tracking and Inquiring About Delays
You can check case status at the USCIS Case Status Online portal using the 13-character receipt number from your Form I-797C.11U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Checking Your Case Status Online Long stretches at “Pending” often signal a background check queue or a processing pause of the kind seen in 2025. If your case has exceeded the posted processing time for your form type and service center, and you have not received a notice, responded to an evidence request, or received an online status update in the past 60 days, you can submit an inquiry through USCIS e-Request.12U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Check Case Processing For form types without a posted processing time, USCIS targets six months, and you should wait that long before inquiring.
If You Get a Denial
A denied I-485 does not always end the case. You can file Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion, to appeal to the Administrative Appeals Office or ask the deciding office to reopen or reconsider.13U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion The deadline is 30 calendar days from the date USCIS mailed the denial, or 33 days if the decision was sent by mail. The clock runs from the date of service, not the date you received the notice, so slow mail eats into your window. Late appeals are rejected outright unless the issuing office treats the filing as a motion, and a late motion is excused only if the delay was reasonable and beyond your control. Open every piece of USCIS mail the day it arrives.