Since the launch of the second Trump administration, processing times for legal immigration procedures, such as permanent residency renewals and citizenship applications, have noticeably lengthened, leading to growing inconvenience and anxiety among immigrants, including Koreans. Analysts attribute these delays to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) significantly strengthening FBI background checks and security screenings.
While permanent residency renewals (I-90) and citizenship applications (N-400) were often processed within four to six months in the past, there have recently been a series of cases taking seven months to over a year. A Korean permanent resident, identified as Mr. K, applied for a renewal last December but has not received his new card even now, seven months later. He stated, “Renewals used to be completed in about three to four months, but this time, there has been no progress for well over half a year.” Citizenship applicants are facing a similar situation.
Another Korean applicant who applied for citizenship last October stated that they had not even been notified of an interview schedule for nine months, remarking, “The processing speed seems to have definitely slowed down compared to before.” The immigration industry attributes this phenomenon to the Trump administration’s strengthened security screening policies. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently issued internal guidelines to expand FBI background checks for most immigration benefit applications, including permanent residency, citizenship, and asylum. In particular, it instructed that approval decisions be withheld even for applications where a background check had already been completed if a re-examination is required under the new standards.
This measure follows up on an executive order signed by President Trump last February. The executive order mandates that USCIS utilize the FBI’s criminal record database to the maximum extent permitted by law to more thoroughly verify applicants’ criminal histories and national security risks. Under the new guidelines, most immigration applications requiring fingerprint submission have become subject to stricter screening. This applies not only to permanent residency and citizenship applications but also to family petitions for U.S. citizens and permanent residents, as well as fiancé visa petitions. USCIS has decided not to issue approval decisions until the new security review is completed, while conversely, it can deny applications without further inquiry for cases where grounds for denial are clear.
The enhanced review is known to cross-verify not only U.S. criminal records but also criminal history from the country of origin, past immigration records, and instances of misrepresentation. There are also predictions that processing times may be further extended for some applicants as additional security reviews are conducted. USCIS explained, “Some processing delays may occur during the application of the new verification procedures, but this is a temporary phenomenon,” adding that it is “a measure for the safety of U.S. citizens and national security.” However, immigration lawyers are concerned that delays could be prolonged as large-scale re-verification operations are added to the already backlogged USCIS review system.
Attorney Jeon Jong-jun explained, “In the past, permanent residency renewals or citizenship applications were often completed within about six months, but now it is not uncommon to see cases taking nearly a year.” He added, “The biggest reason is that the background check and fingerprint verification procedures have become much stricter than before.” The immigration industry advises that since strengthened background check policies are highly likely to remain in place, immigrants planning to renew their permanent residency or apply for citizenship need to consider important schedules in advance—such as overseas travel, employment, or renewing driver’s licenses or identification—and check the progress frequently with ample time.