US authorities suspended processing new green card applications for some categories of people, including refugees, on Wednesday as part of a more thorough vetting of migrants.
Officials have not yet provided information on which applications are affected.
CBS News previously reported that the additional vetting would affect refugees and asylum seekers who have applied for green cards.
Expert Laura Collins notes that vetting could include social media checks and a closer look at completed forms.
Refugees and asylum seekers must wait a year after receiving status before they are allowed to apply for a green card. People applying for lawful permanent resident status are vetted not only upon initial entry into the US, but also during the green card application process.
According to Laura Collins, authorities check to see if the applicant has a criminal record or other circumstances that could prevent them from obtaining a green card.
The suspension comes at a time when US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is aggressively reducing the backlog of applications. The agency says it will reduce the backlog by 15 per cent in 2023, the first reduction in a decade, and by an additional 11.2 per cent last year.
Meanwhile, the US will start selling “golden” residency permits for $5 million in a fortnight, President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House. He said the residency permits will be granted to those foreigners who make large investments in the US economy.
“We are going to be selling a gold card,” Trump said. “We are going to be putting a price on that card of about $5 million,” he added.
Trump expressed his belief that the rich would enter the US by purchasing such a card. He added that it is about a pathway to American citizenship.
