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The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has announced that starting Jan. 21, 2026, immigrant visa processing will be suspended indefinitely for nationals from 75 countries. The announcement cited public charge concerns as the basis for the suspension and indicated that immigrant visa processing will be paused while DOS "reassess[es] immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits." DOS will continue to accept immigrant visa applications and schedule interviews for applicants from affected countries, but immigrant visas will not be issued while the suspension is in effect.
Notably, the suspension does not apply to nonimmigrant visa processing, including temporary tourist, student and work visas (B-1s, F-1s, J-1s, H-1Bs, L-1s, etc.) It is also important to emphasize that an immigrant visa ban only impacts processing at U.S. Consulates abroad and does not impact cases filed for individuals within the United States with agencies like USCIS (including extension of status, change of status, adjustment of status, or naturalization applications). Further, DOS has confirmed that dual nationals who hold a valid passport from any country not subject to the suspension are exempt from the pause.
The full list of countries subject to the suspension of immigrant visa processing follows:
Afghanistan, Albania, 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.
Employers and individuals seeking permanent residency through consular processing abroad should be aware of these developments and plan accordingly. Immigrant visa applicants from the affected countries should also anticipate delays in interview scheduling and case processing.
Clark Hill's Immigration Law Practice will continue to monitor this evolving situation and provide updates and official guidance as additional information becomes available. For questions about how this announcement may impact your case or immigration planning, please contact a member of our team, and subscribe here to receive future Immigration Law alerts directly to your inbox.
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