USCIS announced that it will reject your asylum application and cancel your work permit if you do not pay your annual asylum fee on time. Immigration court will probably deny or dismiss your asylum case if you do not pay on time.
This page was recently updated to include information for asylum seekers about asylum, work permits and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS).
There are new security checks for USCIS applications, including asylum and green cards. The security checks can cause delays, and some applicants may be asked to provide fingerprints again.
The government has ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for some countries. But for other countries, TPS remains valid due to lawsuits. The Supreme Court will probably make a decision about TPS by early July.
A proposed new rule would limit work permits for asylum seekers, but it is not final. You can still apply for an initial work permit 150 days after you apply for asylum.
If you were harmed by the U.S. government, you have a right to file a claim using a law called the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA). Visit ASAP's new website, HurtByICE.com, to learn more.
USCIS said they will start making decisions on some asylum cases again, but cases of asylum seekers from 40 countries will remain paused. Work permit renewals and other applications are also paused for the 40 countries.
On April 1, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments about birthright citizenship. It will likely make a decision in this case by early July 2026. In the meantime, all babies born in the U.S. are being recognized as U.S. citizens.
The U.S. government is preventing asylum seekers and other immigrants from receiving new commercial drivers licenses (CDLs). This new rule is very similar to a 2025 rule that was stopped by a court. Immigrants are challenging the new rule through a new lawsuit.
A proposed new rule would make it impossible for asylum seekers to apply for an initial work permit. The rule would also make some work permit renewals more difficult. This proposed rule is NOT final. If you are eligible for a work permit, apply now!
Some immigrants can ask for release from detention through a bond hearing or a habeas petition. A court has said that more people who crossed the border should have an option for a bond hearing. But the process can be difficult.
Courts have temporarily blocked the IRS from sharing taxpayers’ information with immigration agencies. However, we know that the IRS shared data with immigration agencies in 2025, and it is possible that they will do so again in the future.
USCIS and immigration courts can now require an annual asylum fee of $102 if your asylum application has been pending for at least one year. Previously, a judge had paused these fees, but the judge ended that pause on February 2.
Starting on January 21, 2026, the U.S. government is pausing processing of immigrant visas for 75 countries. The 75 countries are: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyz Republic, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Yemen.
There are new travel restrictions for individuals from specific countries. USCIS has stopped approving most immigration benefits for individuals from these countries, including asylum, green cards, and work permit renewals. The countries are Afghanistan, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burma (Myanmar), Burundi, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon, the Gambia, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Palestine, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Work permits issued after December 4, 2025 to asylum seekers will be valid for 18 months, instead of 5 years. However, if you received a 5-year work permit on or before December 4, 2025, it is still valid for 5 years. This change also applies to some other immigrants.
At this time, we do not believe immigration court cases should be impacted by the USCIS asylum pause for individuals from 40 countries. But the government is still ending many immigration court cases without a full hearing.
The government has stopped issuing new automatic work permit extensions. But if you already received a 540-day extension on or before October 29, your extension is still valid!
USCIS made it harder to submit payments by check or money order. See updated information about how to make payments for new applications.
The Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) aims to provide factual information about current immigration laws. This information is not legal advice.
All legal content is written and legally reviewed by ASAP’s team of expert immigration lawyers. ASAP’s expert lawyers have decades of experience in immigration law and litigation. Collectively, they have won hundreds of cases. Our lawyers are admitted to the Bar in several U.S. states, hold law degrees from universities including Harvard, Yale, and UCLA, and have won multiple awards for their legal work.