US immigrant visa processing will be suspended for 75 countries

Effective January 21, 2026, the U.S. Department of State will indefinitely pause the issuance of immigrant visas (connected to the permanent residence process) for nationals of 75 countries in an expansion of its internal efforts to assess public charge concerns. Notably, this pause will not apply to applicants for nonimmigrant visas (e.g., H-1Bs, L-1s, O-1s, etc.). This pause will also not apply to dual nationals applying for an immigrant visa with a valid passport from a nonimpacted country, and immigrant visas that have been issued already will not be revoked as part of this guidance. Note that this guidance comes in addition to the current travel ban covering 39 countries, which remains in place.

The full list of the 75 countries impacted by this pause on immigrant visa issuance is as follows:

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, The Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyz Republic, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Macedonia, 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.

If you have any questions or need additional information about this alert, please feel free to contact the HSF Kramer Immigration Group.