USCIS Establishes New Vetting Center to Enhance Security Screening

On December 5, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the establishment of a specialized center to centralize and enhance the screening and vetting of foreign nationals within the U.S. immigration system. This new center is a major development in the administration’s purported efforts to safeguard national security and public safety.

The USCIS Vetting Center

The new USCIS Vetting Center (the “Center”), to be headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, is designed to screen out individuals who may pose a threat to the U.S., including terrorists, persons with criminal backgrounds, and those who have committed fraud. The creation of the Center is part of a broader series of efforts to implement Executive Order 14161, Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats, issued on January 20, 2025.

The Center will centralize security screening leveraging advanced technologies, including AI, to conduct intensive reviews of all applications.  At the outset, the center is tasked with reviewing pending applications and conducting a retroactive review of already-approved applications for foreign nationals, prioritizing applications from presidentially designated “countries of concern”. USCIS has stated that they will utilize the classified and non-classified screening and vetting capabilities from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), other law enforcement agencies, and the intelligence community in conducting their reviews.

What We Don’t Know

The USCIS announcement leaves many unanswered questions. USCIS has stated the Center will take on its full role “once fully operationalized,” however they have not released a specific date for when that will occur. Also, they have not provided estimates on how much time the new enhanced vetting will add to current processing times for cases that are flagged for review.  USCIS has not publicly released the criteria that it will use to conduct additional review on applications received by individuals coming from “countries of concern”. Additionally, USCIS has not disclosed how they will identify “fraud and security risks.”  Further, if a case is flagged due to error, there does not currently appear to be a process or timeframe for applicants to challenge that finding and/or correct the record.

What Employers Need to Know

Employers should be prepared to factor significant additional time into immigration-related planning for new hires or transfers.  We recommend that all renewal applications be filed as early as possible (typically 6 months prior to the expiration date) to allow additional time for processing, if needed.   Employers should consider utilizing the USCIS Premium Process Service, where available for an adjudication within an established time frame. Employers should also consider developing or enhancing plans for employees who may experience sudden loss or gap in work authorization, such as temporary overseas reassignments and leave-of-absence policies.

Additionally, it will be critical for employers and employees to ensure that employment records, travel documents, and the documentation confirming same are accurate, consistent, and readily available.  Prior to international travel, employees should be advised to alert HR and immigration counsel to identify any risks and to ensure they have the appropriate documentation for travel.

Amy McCoy