Last Updated: January 2026

If you have a K-1 fiancé(e) visa application (Form I-129F) currently pending with USCIS, or if you are preparing to file one, urgent new policy changes may affect your timeline.

Effective immediately, USCIS has implemented a processing hold on immigration benefit requests for nationals of specific “high-risk” countries. This follows recent Presidential Proclamations and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memos issued in late 2025 causing a freeze on adjudications for affected cases.

If your fiancé(e) is a citizen or national of one of the countries listed below, your case may effectively be “paused” indefinitely until further vetting protocols are established.

Why is This Happening?

The pause is the result of new national security directives aimed at countries deemed to have “deficient screening and vetting information.”

Essentially, the U.S. government has determined that these specific countries cannot provide adequate background information (such as reliable criminal or terror-watch history) on their citizens. As a result, USCIS adjudicators have been instructed to hold these applications rather than approving or denying them, pending a “comprehensive review” of vetting procedures.

The “High-Risk” Country List (Processing Suspended)

If the beneficiary of your K-1 petition is from one of the following countries, your USCIS adjudication (NOA2) is likely suspended at this time:

• Afghanistan
• Burma (Myanmar)
• Burkina Faso
• Chad
• Republic of the Congo
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea
• Haiti
• Iran
• Laos
• Libya
• Mali
• Niger
• Sierra Leone
• Somalia
• South Sudan
• Sudan
• Syria
• Yemen

Countries Facing Partial Restrictions & Travel Bans

In addition to the full processing pause above, a second tier of countries is facing new restrictions. While your petition might still move through USCIS, you may face significant hurdles or denials at the consular (embassy) phase due to expanded travel bans.

Nationals of these countries are currently facing partial suspensions or severe delays:

• Angola
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Benin
• Burundi
• Cuba
• Dominica
• Gabon
• The Gambia
• Malawi
• Mauritania
• Nigeria
• Senegal
• Tanzania
• Togo
• Venezuela

No, switching to a CR-1 won’t help

I’ve been seeing some bad advice on the internet tellign couples to get married online and file a CR-1 instead. Here’s why that won’t help:

1. The Freeze is on the Person, Not the Visa Type

The current USCIS hold (based on the policy detailed in previous steps) targets the beneficiary’s nationality, not the specific form being filed.

• K-1 uses Form I-129F.
• CR-1 uses Form I-130.
• The Pause: The directive instructs adjudicators to pause “all immigration benefit requests” for nationals of these specific countries. This blanket term covers both fiancé petitions and spousal petitions. If you switch, you are simply moving from one frozen line to another frozen line.

2. You Will Reset Your Priority Date

If you abandon your pending K-1 application to marry and file for a CR-1, you essentially restart the clock.

• You lose the months (or years) you have already waited for the K-1.
• You must pay new filing fees for the CR-1 (Form I-130).
• Your new application goes to the back of the queue, behind thousands of others, only to hit the same “security check” wall once it finally reaches an adjudicator.

3. This isn’t a Normal Travel Ban

There is a common confusion here that is important to clear up:

• Travel Bans (Presidential Proclamations): Often, travel bans do have exceptions for spouses of U.S. citizens that do not apply to fiancés. In a normal “Travel Ban” scenario, being married (CR-1) is better.
• Vetting/Processing Pauses (Current Situation): This is different. This is a pause on the paperwork processing inside the U.S. before it even gets to the embassy. Because the pause is on the adjudication of the petition itself due to “deficient vetting info,” being a spouse does not currently bypass the need for the security checks that are causing the delay.

What Should You Do Now?

1. Check Your Beneficiary’s Nationality

Remember that this applies based on nationality (citizenship) or country of birth, not necessarily where they are currently living. If your fiancé(e) was born in Iran but lives in Germany, they are still subject to the pause.

2. Do Not Withdraw Your Application

Unless you have a specific legal reason to do so, panic-withdrawing your application is usually a bad idea. These pauses are often temporary or result in a “Request for Evidence” (RFE) rather than an outright denial. Keep your place in line.

3. Prepare for “Extreme Vetting”

If your case does move forward, expect a higher burden of proof. You may receive an RFE asking for extensive 15-year travel history, social media handles, and detailed employment records for the beneficiary. Start gathering this data now so you are ready.

4. Get help

If you are from a flagged country, this is no longer a “DIY” (Do-It-Yourself) case. The nuances of Presidential Proclamation 10949 and the CARRP (Controlled Application Review and Resolution Program) program are complex. I can help you determine if you qualify for a waiver or if there are alternative pathways available.