USCIS DV Hold Blocks Domestic I-485 Approvals

USCIS has blocked final approvals for pending domestic green card applications filed by Diversity Visa selectees. The agency placed these cases under a policy hold for review.

The action was taken through policy memorandum PM-602-0193, issued on December 19, 2025. The memo froze adjudication at the final approval stage for these specific cases.

Applicants could still see their cases as pending in the system, but the cases could not be approved while the hold remained active. This measure became known as the USCIS DV Hold.

Hold Affects Domestic Adjustment Cases

The hold specifically applies to people seeking adjustment of status inside the United States by filing Form I-485. It does not affect Diversity Visa applicants waiting for overseas interviews processed by the Department of State.

This is a procedural distinction. The hold stops domestic adjustment cases but does not interfere with the department's overseas interview scheduling or processing.

Review Halts Final Adjudication Step

The policy stopped the normal final adjudication process for these cases. Diversity Visa selectees already in the United States were left unable to complete their green card approval through USCIS during the hold period.

Related benefits were also affected. Work authorization and travel permits tied to the pending adjustment cases were reported as frozen alongside the applications themselves.

A backlog formed as applicants waited for USCIS to resume adjudications at its discretion. The memo's full title is "Hold and Review of Pending USCIS Adjustment of Status Applications Filed by Aliens Under the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program."

USCIS Reaffirms Policy Nearing Deadline

USCIS reaffirmed the hold policy in an agency alert dated March 30, 2026. The alert was titled "Update on USCIS’ Strengthened Screening and Vetting."

The agency stated the review was intended to determine whether applicants posed any national security or public safety concerns. This meant the review continued well after the original December memorandum was issued.

The review operates against a fixed program deadline. Eligibility for fiscal year 2026 Diversity Visa selectees expires on September 30, 2026.

Fiscal Year Deadline Creates Pressure

Diversity Visa cases differ from many other immigration categories because eligibility is tied to a specific fiscal year. USCIS must approve the adjustment before that period ends.

If approval does not arrive before the September 30 deadline, the applicant can lose the opportunity to adjust status even if the case would otherwise be approvable. A pending case alone does not complete the green card process.

This deadline turned the hold into more than a routine processing delay. Each case remained in limbo while the agency's review continued, with the available window for approval steadily closing. The memo established the policy on December 19, 2025, and USCIS later reaffirmed it on March 30, 2026.