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.
While USCIS has not yet issued detailed public guidance explaining how the new process will be applied across all case types, 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 FBI’s Next Generation Identification system. According to reporting on the
