U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) began processing frozen immigration applications for citizens of 39 countries [1] on June 15, 2024 [3].

This move resolves a significant legal bottleneck that left hundreds of thousands of applicants in limbo. By resuming these reviews, the agency allows individuals to regain their legal standing and access critical employment and residency rights.

The reactivation follows a court order that had previously frozen a massive volume of files [2]. According to agency details, the process is designed to be automatic, meaning cases will advance from the exact point where they were originally suspended [2].

The scope of the unlocked processes is broad. It includes adjustments of status, which allow individuals to change their immigration category without leaving the U.S., as well as family-based petitions [1]. Additionally, authorizations for employment are now being processed, providing a path for eligible individuals to enter the legal workforce [1].

Officials said that the resumption affects citizens from 39 different nations [1]. The volume of the backlog is substantial, with hundreds of thousands of applications now moving through the system again [2].

Because the reactivation is automatic, applicants do not need to file new paperwork to restart their cases. The agency is now working through the accumulated backlog to bring these files to a resolution [2].

“USCIS began processing frozen immigration applications for citizens of 39 countries”

The resumption of these applications signals a shift in the legal landscape regarding the court-ordered freezes that had paralyzed specific immigration pathways. For the hundreds of thousands of affected individuals, this means a transition from legal uncertainty to active adjudication, potentially reducing the reliance on temporary stays and accelerating the integration of foreign nationals into the U.S. labor market.