At the San Diego U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services field office this week, applicants who walked in expecting on-the-spot decisions walked out with something else entirely: a “continued” notice and a lot of unanswered questions. Local immigration attorneys say officers who routinely signed off on marriage-based green cards at the end of an interview are now holding final decisions while federal vetting is rerun, leaving families and workers in limbo over jobs, travel plans and long-scheduled moves.
The slowdown is tied to a nationwide USCIS directive that took effect April 27, 2026, requiring officers to resubmit fingerprint-based security checks to an expanded FBI system before they can give a final yes, according to Reuters. The internal memo follows a February executive order that broadened the Department of Homeland Security’s access to federal criminal history records and instructs officers to pull “enhanced” criminal history information before completing an adjudication.
How San Diego interviews are changing
San Diego immigration attorney Habib Hasbini told local reporters that interviews this week felt “quite different” from what he was seeing just days earlier. Instead of walking out with approvals in hand, some applicants were informed that their cases would be continued for further review. As reported by CBS 8, Hasbini said at least one adjustment-of-status applicant completed an interview only to be told the case would be put on hold, and he warned that some people could now be waiting as long as four months for a decision.
USCIS response and the backlog
USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler told national outlets that the agency has “implemented new security checks to strengthen the vetting and screening of applicants” and that “any delay in decision issuance should be brief and resolved shortly,” according to CBS News. Those extra steps are landing on top of an already hefty workload. The American Immigration Council backlog dashboard shows USCIS’s pending caseload has climbed into the millions, a pressure point that could make even “brief” delays feel much longer on the ground.
What applicants can do
Applicants who get a “continued” decision after an interview are being urged to keep a close eye on their my.uscis.gov accounts and follow any instructions for new biometric appointments or mailed notices. USCIS guidance explains how to file service requests and contact the agency when a case drifts beyond normal processing times.
For people whose work authorization is close to expiring, immigration attorneys recommend looping in legal counsel or a congressional caseworker early and documenting job or travel deadlines that might support a request for expedited handling.
San Diego attorneys say they are hoping the new checks are processed quickly and that approvals start flowing again soon. For now, though, many local applicants are bracing for an extra dose of uncertainty. This story will be updated if USCIS releases additional guidance or the San Diego field office adjusts its operations.
