U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has begun implementing enhanced security vetting procedures that are expected to delay certain pending immigration benefit adjudications. In addition, more types of petitions and applications will require fingerprint-based background checks.
These changes follow Executive Order 14385, issued on February 6, 2026, which directs the Attorney General to provide the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with access to criminal history record information, maintained by the Department of Justice for DHS screening and vetting purposes, to the maximum extent permitted by law.
USCIS has not yet issued detailed public guidance explaining how the new process will be applied across all case types, but recent internal guidance and public reporting indicate that, effective April 27, 2026, USCIS began receiving enhanced criminal history record information for fingerprint-based background checks submitted through the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) “Next Generation Identification (NGI)” system. According to reporting on the internal guidance, USCIS officers have been directed not to approve certain pending cases until the enhanced checks have been completed, and to resubmit fingerprint-based screenings for any application or petition where the FBI information was received before April 27, 2026.
The most immediate impact appears to be on pending applications and petitions that require fingerprint-based background checks. These commonly include adjustment of status, naturalization, asylum-related filings, and certain employment authorization applications. The new process has coincided with emerging trends in requests for evidence involving biometrics in certain employment-based matters.
