The United States Department of State (“DOS”) has announced that it will freeze immigrant visa processing for seventy-five (75) countries citing concerns that citizens from those countries might become a public charge and require government financial assistance upon entering the United States.
The directive instructs DOS consular officers to pause immigrant visa applications under existing laws. It does not affect nonimmigrant visa applications including B-1/B-2 Visitor Visas, L-1 Intracompany Transfer Visas, F and J Student Visas, and E-1/E-2 Treaty Trader and Investor Visas.
The suspension is scheduled to start on January 21, 2026 and covers the following countries:
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Congo, Cuba, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Yemen.
Countries in East and South East Asia that are listed are Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. Notable countries in Asia that are not included are the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Taiwan, and China.
Immigrant visa applicants who are nationals of affected countries may submit visa applications and attend interviews, and DOS will continue to schedule applicants for appointments, but no immigrant visas will be issued to these nationals during this pause.
Dual nationals applying with a valid passport of a country that is not listed are exempt from this pause. DOS states that no immigrant visas have been revoked as part of this guidance.
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Copyright 2026. This article is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. This article may be changed with or without notice. The opinions expressed in this article are those of Enterline and Partners only.
