diff --git a/src/fides/api/service/connectors/saas_connector.py b/src/fides/api/service/connectors/saas_connector.py
index 8b53545ac30..7eb247d3802 100644
--- a/src/fides/api/service/connectors/saas_connector.py
+++ b/src/fides/api/service/connectors/saas_connector.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 from fides.api.models.connectionconfig import ConnectionConfig, ConnectionTestStatus
 from fides.api.models.policy import Policy
 from fides.api.models.privacy_request import PrivacyRequest, RequestTask
+from fides.api.models.privacy_request.request_task import AsyncTaskType
 from fides.api.schemas.consentable_item import (
     ConsentableItem,
     build_consent_item_hierarchy,
@@ -277,11 +278,20 @@ def retrieve_data(
 
         # Delegate async requests
         with get_db() as db:
-            # Guard clause to ensure we only run async access requests for access requests
-            if self.guard_access_request(policy):
-                if async_dsr_strategy := _get_async_dsr_strategy(
-                    db, request_task, query_config, ActionType.access
+            if async_dsr_strategy := _get_async_dsr_strategy(
+                db, request_task, query_config, ActionType.access
+            ):
+                check_guard_access_request = self.guard_access_request(policy)
+                # Guard clause only applies to polling requests
+                # Callback requests should always proceed
+                if (async_dsr_strategy.type == AsyncTaskType.polling) and (
+                    not check_guard_access_request
                 ):
+                    logger.info(
+                        f"Skipping async access request for policy: {policy.name}"
+                    )
+                    return []
+                if check_guard_access_request:
                     return async_dsr_strategy.async_retrieve_data(
                         client=self.create_client(),
                         request_task_id=request_task.id,
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/saas/test_data/saas_async_polling_config.yml b/tests/fixtures/saas/test_data/saas_async_polling_config.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4c26bb4d47d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/saas/test_data/saas_async_polling_config.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+saas_config:
+  fides_key: saas_async_polling_config
+  name: Async Polling Example Custom Connector
+  type: async_polling_example
+  description: Test Async Polling Config
+  version: 0.0.1
+
+  connector_params:
+    - name: domain
+    - name: api_token
+      label: API token
+
+  client_config:
+    protocol: http
+    host: <domain>
+    authentication:
+      strategy: bearer
+      configuration:
+        token: <api_token>
+
+  test_request:
+    method: GET
+    path: /
+
+  endpoints:
+    - name: user
+      requests:
+        read:
+          method: GET
+          path: /api/v1/user
+          query_params:
+            - name: query
+              value: <email>
+          param_values:
+            - name: email
+              identity: email
+          correlation_id_path: request_id
+          async_config:
+            strategy: polling
+            configuration:
+              status_request:
+                method: GET
+                path: /api/v1/user/status
+                status_path: status
+                status_completed_value: completed
+              result_request:
+                method: GET
+                path: /api/v1/user/result
+        update:
+          method: DELETE
+          path: /api/v1/user/<user_id>
+          correlation_id_path: correlation_id
+          async_config:
+            strategy: polling
+            configuration:
+              status_request:
+                method: GET
+                path: /api/v1/user/<correlation_id>/status
+                status_path: status
+                status_completed_value: completed
+          param_values:
+            - name: user_id
+              references:
+                - dataset: saas_async_polling_config
+                  field: user.id
+                  direction: from
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/saas/test_data/saas_async_polling_dataset.yml b/tests/fixtures/saas/test_data/saas_async_polling_dataset.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f83d391a92b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/saas/test_data/saas_async_polling_dataset.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+dataset:
+  - fides_key: saas_async_polling_config
+    name: async_polling_example
+    description: A sample dataset for async polling
+    collections:
+      - name: user
+        fields:
+          - name: id
+            data_categories: [user.unique_id]
+            fidesops_meta:
+              primary_key: True
+          - name: system_id
+            data_categories: [system]
+          - name: state
+            data_categories: [user.contact.address.state]
diff --git a/tests/ops/service/connectors/test_saas_connector.py b/tests/ops/service/connectors/test_saas_connector.py
index 3741cccb36c..eaf70ab794a 100644
--- a/tests/ops/service/connectors/test_saas_connector.py
+++ b/tests/ops/service/connectors/test_saas_connector.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 from starlette.status import HTTP_200_OK, HTTP_204_NO_CONTENT, HTTP_404_NOT_FOUND
 
 from fides.api.common_exceptions import (
+    AwaitingAsyncProcessing,
     AwaitingAsyncTask,
     ClientUnsuccessfulException,
     ConnectionException,
@@ -22,7 +23,7 @@
 from fides.api.graph.graph import DatasetGraph, Node
 from fides.api.graph.traversal import Traversal, TraversalNode
 from fides.api.models.consent_automation import ConsentAutomation
-from fides.api.models.policy import Policy
+from fides.api.models.policy import ActionType, Policy, Rule, RuleTarget
 from fides.api.models.privacy_notice import UserConsentPreference
 from fides.api.models.privacy_request import PrivacyRequest, RequestTask
 from fides.api.models.worker_task import ExecutionLogStatus
@@ -1121,6 +1122,23 @@ def async_graph(self, saas_example_async_dataset_config, db, privacy_request):
             db, privacy_request, traversal_nodes, end_nodes, graph
         )
 
+    @pytest.fixture(scope="function")
+    def async_graph_polling(
+        self, saas_async_polling_example_dataset_config, db, privacy_request
+    ):
+        # Build proper async graph with persisted request tasks for polling tests
+        async_graph = saas_async_polling_example_dataset_config.get_graph()
+        graph = DatasetGraph(async_graph)
+        traversal = Traversal(graph, {"email": "customer-1@example.com"})
+        traversal_nodes = {}
+        end_nodes = traversal.traverse(traversal_nodes, collect_tasks_fn)
+        persist_new_access_request_tasks(
+            db, privacy_request, traversal, traversal_nodes, end_nodes, graph
+        )
+        persist_initial_erasure_request_tasks(
+            db, privacy_request, traversal_nodes, end_nodes, graph
+        )
+
     @mock.patch("fides.api.service.connectors.saas_connector.AuthenticatedClient.send")
     def test_read_request_expects_async_results(
         self,
@@ -1306,3 +1324,195 @@ def test_callback_succeeded_mask_data(
             )
             == 5
         )
+
+    @mock.patch(
+        "fides.api.service.connectors.saas_connector.SaaSConnector.create_client"
+    )
+    def test_guard_access_request_with_access_policy(
+        self,
+        mock_create_client,
+        privacy_request,
+        saas_async_polling_example_connection_config,
+        async_graph_polling,
+    ):
+        """
+        Test that guard_access_request allows async access requests to run
+        when the policy has access rules (access request scenario).
+        """
+        connector: SaaSConnector = get_connector(
+            saas_async_polling_example_connection_config
+        )
+        mock_create_client.return_value = mock.MagicMock()
+
+        # Get access request task
+        request_task = privacy_request.access_tasks.filter(
+            RequestTask.collection_name == "user"
+        ).first()
+        execution_node = ExecutionNode(request_task)
+
+        # Policy has access rules, so guard should return True and async_retrieve_data should be called
+        with pytest.raises(AwaitingAsyncProcessing):
+            connector.retrieve_data(
+                execution_node,
+                privacy_request.policy,
+                privacy_request,
+                request_task,
+                {},
+            )
+
+    @mock.patch(
+        "fides.api.service.connectors.saas_connector.SaaSConnector.create_client"
+    )
+    def test_guard_access_request_with_erasure_only_policy(
+        self,
+        mock_create_client,
+        db,
+        privacy_request,
+        saas_async_polling_example_connection_config,
+        async_graph_polling,
+        oauth_client,
+    ):
+        """
+        Test that guard_access_request skips async access requests
+        when the policy has no access rules (erasure-only request scenario).
+        This test ensures coverage of the logger.info and return [] lines.
+        Uses polling async strategy to test the guard clause.
+        """
+        # Create an erasure-only policy (no access rules)
+        erasure_only_policy = Policy.create(
+            db=db,
+            data={
+                "name": "Erasure Only Policy",
+                "key": "erasure_only_policy_test",
+                "client_id": oauth_client.id,
+            },
+        )
+
+        erasure_rule = Rule.create(
+            db=db,
+            data={
+                "action_type": ActionType.erasure,
+                "name": "Erasure Rule",
+                "key": "erasure_rule_test",
+                "policy_id": erasure_only_policy.id,
+                "masking_strategy": {
+                    "strategy": "null_rewrite",
+                    "configuration": {},
+                },
+                "client_id": oauth_client.id,
+            },
+        )
+
+        RuleTarget.create(
+            db=db,
+            data={
+                "data_category": "user.name",
+                "rule_id": erasure_rule.id,
+                "client_id": oauth_client.id,
+            },
+        )
+
+        connector: SaaSConnector = get_connector(
+            saas_async_polling_example_connection_config
+        )
+
+        # Get access request task
+        request_task = privacy_request.access_tasks.filter(
+            RequestTask.collection_name == "user"
+        ).first()
+        execution_node = ExecutionNode(request_task)
+
+        # Verify guard_access_request returns False for erasure-only policy
+        assert connector.guard_access_request(erasure_only_policy) is False
+
+        result = connector.retrieve_data(
+            execution_node,
+            erasure_only_policy,
+            privacy_request,
+            request_task,
+            {},
+        )
+
+        # Should return empty list without calling async_retrieve_data
+        assert result == []
+
+    @mock.patch(
+        "fides.api.service.connectors.saas_connector.SaaSConnector.create_client"
+    )
+    def test_callback_requests_ignore_guard_clause(
+        self,
+        mock_create_client,
+        db,
+        privacy_request,
+        saas_async_example_connection_config,
+        async_graph,
+        oauth_client,
+    ):
+        """
+        Test that callback requests ignore the guard clause entirely.
+        Even if guard_access_request returns False (erasure-only policy),
+        callback requests should still proceed and raise AwaitingAsyncTask.
+        """
+        # Create an erasure-only policy (no access rules)
+        erasure_only_policy = Policy.create(
+            db=db,
+            data={
+                "name": "Erasure Only Policy Callback Test",
+                "key": "erasure_only_policy_callback_test",
+                "client_id": oauth_client.id,
+            },
+        )
+
+        erasure_rule = Rule.create(
+            db=db,
+            data={
+                "action_type": ActionType.erasure,
+                "name": "Erasure Rule Callback Test",
+                "key": "erasure_rule_callback_test",
+                "policy_id": erasure_only_policy.id,
+                "masking_strategy": {
+                    "strategy": "null_rewrite",
+                    "configuration": {},
+                },
+                "client_id": oauth_client.id,
+            },
+        )
+
+        RuleTarget.create(
+            db=db,
+            data={
+                "data_category": "user.name",
+                "rule_id": erasure_rule.id,
+                "client_id": oauth_client.id,
+            },
+        )
+
+        connector: SaaSConnector = get_connector(saas_async_example_connection_config)
+        # Mock the client and its send method to allow async callback flow
+        mock_client = mock.MagicMock()
+        mock_send_response = mock.MagicMock()
+        mock_send_response.json.return_value = {"id": "123"}
+        mock_client.send.return_value = mock_send_response
+        mock_create_client.return_value = mock_client
+
+        # Get access request task
+        request_task = privacy_request.access_tasks.filter(
+            RequestTask.collection_name == "user"
+        ).first()
+        execution_node = ExecutionNode(request_task)
+
+        # Verify guard_access_request returns False for erasure-only policy
+        assert connector.guard_access_request(erasure_only_policy) is False
+
+        # Even though guard_access_request returns False, callback requests
+        # should ignore the guard and always proceed with common requests.
+        connector.retrieve_data(
+            execution_node,
+            erasure_only_policy,
+            privacy_request,
+            request_task,
+            {},
+        )
+
+        # Verify that the async callback flow was triggered (client.send was called)
+        assert mock_client.send.called