An IMGlobalWealth.com News Report
The U.S. Department of State will indefinitely pause immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries from 21 January 2026, as part of a wider reassessment of how the “public charge” standard is applied in visa adjudications.
The move represents one of the broadest administrative interruptions to legal immigration processing in recent years and affects family-based, employment-based, and diversity visa categories.
“…the policy leaves tens of thousands of applicants in procedural limbo”
According to guidance circulated to U.S. embassies and consulates and reported by international media, consular officers have been instructed to halt the issuance and printing of immigrant visas for applicants from the affected countries while screening rules and evidentiary thresholds are reviewed. No timeline has been given for when normal processing may resume.
The countries span Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America, reflecting the global scope of the measure.
Below is the complete list of countries for which the United States has paused, or is in the process of pausing, immigrant visa processing:
Middle East:
Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen.
Asia:
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, Uzbekistan.
Europe:
Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Russia.
Americas and Caribbean:
Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Uruguay.
While the suspension does not formally apply to non-immigrant visas such as tourist, business, or student visas, immigration practitioners note that heightened scrutiny may still be applied across categories.
Critics warn that the pause could delay family reunification, disrupt labour-market planning, and create humanitarian bottlenecks, particularly for applicants from lower-income or conflict-affected states.
Supporters argue that stricter enforcement of the public charge doctrine is consistent with existing U.S. immigration law and aims to ensure fiscal self-sufficiency among new permanent residents.
With no sunset clause attached, the policy leaves tens of thousands of applicants in procedural limbo, adding to uncertainty in an already tightening global migration environment.
