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Summary

This article is for people who have questions about the new “executive order” signed by President Trump on January 20, 2025 called “Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program,” which pauses the U.S. refugee resettlement program.

It explains what this executive order says, and what it means for people who may be affected by these changes, such as current or potential refugee applicants.

What is this “executive order”?

The U.S. refugee resettlement program is called the United States Refugee Admissions Program or “USRAP.”

An “executive order” is an official document from the president that requires the government to do certain things.

On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order called “Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program.” This order says that the U.S. government must pause (temporarily stop) letting refugees enter the United States, and that it will also pause making decisions on open refugee applications.

Although the U.S. government has not published detailed information on how it will follow these instructions, they have stopped accepting new refugee applications as of this writing. The government is also not moving forward with processing steps for existing applications.

How does this executive order affect my case?

If you have an open refugee application in this program, then your case is now on hold. The U.S. government has paused all steps of the refugee process, including:

accepting new referrals,
creating new cases,
scheduling interviews,
scheduling medical examinations, and
scheduling flights for people who have completed all of those steps.

We do not know how long the pause will last. When the pause is over, you may have to repeat some steps of the process.

Are there any exceptions to the suspension? Are there cases where these new rules may not apply?

The order says that exceptions might be possible. However, it does not say what kinds of cases should receive exceptions. The order says that the government can only make an exception if it decides it is in the “national interest” and that a refugee “does not pose a threat to the security or welfare of the United States.” The order does not say what this means, and the U.S. government has not given any information about how to request an exception.

Can I open a new USRAP case?

No, the U.S. government has paused all new refugee applications through USRAP.

Does the suspension affect the Welcome Corps program?

Yes, the U.S. government has paused all parts of the Welcome Corps program. It is not accepting new applications for sponsorship or processing open applications.

I am an Afghans or Iraqi Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicant. Will the suspension or other Trump Administration changes affect my SIV application?

Maybe.

Filing an Application, Interviews, and other Processing: Afghan and Iraqi SIV applications, interviews, and application processing at embassies and consulates are not affected by the suspension because they are not part of USRAP.

Travel: The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has paused flights for Afghan and Iraqi SIV holders. SIV holders are still allowed to book their own travel.

Refugee Benefits: Because of another Trump administration action, SIV holders who arrive in the U.S. may be impacted by a pause on funding for refugee resettlement agencies. For more information, please read the section in this guide below on refugee benefits.

Does the suspension affect cases of Afghans applying through the Afghan P-1 / P-2 program?

Yes, all refugee applications are suspended, including cases referred through the Afghan P-1 / P-2 program.

Has the Trump Administration paused the U.S. government's departure assistance (“CARE relocation”) for Afghans from Afghanistan?

As of January 28, 2025, the U.S. government has paused departure assistance flights from Afghanistan. It is possible that the U.S. government may resume flights for Afghans who do not have USRAP applications.

My family member applied for me to join them in the United States. Will I still be able to come?

We can’t give definite answers about any one person’s case. However, we do know how this order will affect different types of cases.

Case types that will still be processed

If your relative is an asylee and applied to bring you to the United States using the I-730 (“follow-to-join asylee”) process: Your case is not affected.
- “Asylees” are people who received asylum status once they were already in the United States. Family members of asylees who are applying to come to the United States using the I-730 process are not affected by the executive order, because their cases are not part of USRAP.
- More information about I-730 for asylees can be found here.
I-130: If your relative applied to bring you to the US with an I-130 (a family-based immigration petition form), your case is not affected.
- The I-130 family-based immigration process is for US citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs, or “green card holders”) who are applying to bring certain qualifying relatives to the United States. This pathway is not part of USRAP. More information can be found here.

Case types that are paused

If your relative is a refugee and applied to bring you to the United States using the I-730 (“follow-to-join refugee”) process: Your case may be affected. Because of the suspension, travel to the United States and some related steps in this process will be paused. We do not yet know whether the suspension will affect other stages of processing.
- In this context, “refugees” are people who were resettled to the United States through USRAP, which means that they applied for and were approved to receive refugee status before they entered the United States.
- More information about I-730 for refugees can be found here.
If your relative applied to bring you to the United States through the “Priority 3” (P-3) Family Reunification program: Your case will be affected. The P-3 program is part of USRAP.
If you are Iraqi or Syrian and your relative applied to bring you over through the special USRAP I-130 program: Your refugee case through USRAP will be paused. However, immigrant visa processing through the regular I-130 process listed above will not be affected.
If your relative or someone else applied to sponsor you through Welcome Corps: Your case will be paused. The Welcome Corps program is currently on hold.
If your relative applied to bring you to the United States through the Central American Minors (CAM) Program: Your refugee case will be paused, because CAM refugee cases are part of USRAP. We do not know yet exactly how CAM parole cases will be affected.

Does the suspension affect cases with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)?

No, the suspension does not affect UNHCR procedures or UNHCR’s decisions about refugee status or resettlement. However, if UNHCR referred you to the U.S. for resettlement and you now have a USRAP case, your U.S. resettlement case will be paused.

If I was resettled to the U.S. through USRAP and am in the United States now, does the suspension affect my status here?

The suspension only affects refugees who are outside of the United States and want to enter the U.S. through USRAP. If you are in the United States, the suspension does not affect your status. Please read the section above to see if you are filing for family reunification for a relative to see if it may be affected.

If I was resettled to the U.S. through USRAP or entered with SIV and I receive refugee benefits, will the Trump Administration pause on funding to refugee resettlement agencies affect me?

Maybe. Separately from the USRAP suspension, the Trump administration has told resettlement agencies in the U.S. to stop using some money from the U.S. government to provide services to refugees. We do not yet know the exact impact of the funding pause, but some resettlement agencies have continued to provide services and some services may stop or change.

Additional information and resources

What is the U.S. refugee resettlement process?

How can I check the status of my U.S. refugee application?

What is the UNHCR resettlement process?