Effective April 27, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has implemented “enhanced” security checks for immigration applicants. This mandate stems from a February executive order directing authorities to maximize access to federal criminal databases.
Key Impacts of the New Policy
The policy specifically targets applicants whose cases involve fingerprint-based background checks.
- Who is Affected:
- Applicants for Green Cards (Permanent Residency).
- Applicants for Naturalization (U.S. Citizenship).
- Individuals applying for Asylum.
- Sponsorship petitions filed for relatives or fiancées.
- Action for Pending Cases: USCIS officers must resubmit fingerprints for any pending applications if the original FBI background information was received before April 27, 2026.
- Approval Freeze: Officers are directed to withhold approvals on all pending cases until they have undergone these expanded checks. Approval holds are not required if the officer intends to deny the application.
What the “Enhanced” Vetting Includes
Beyond standard FBI criminal record searches, the administration has introduced additional layers of scrutiny:
- Expanded Criminal Access: Direct access to criminal history record information (CHRI) held by various federal criminal justice agencies.
- Neighborhood Investigations: Reintroduction of a policy allowing investigators to interview neighbors, co-workers, and employers to assess an applicant’s “good moral character”.
- Social Media & Financial Review: Increased vetting of applicants’ social media handles (spanning five years) and financial records.
- Ideological Screening: Instructions to screen for “anti-American” or “antisemitic” views that might disqualify applicants from certain benefits.
USCIS states that while these measures are intended to close security gaps, any resulting delays in decision issuance should be brief.
Do you need help checking if your specific priority date is affected by the current April 2026 Visa Bulletin?
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