Department of State to Suspend Immigrant Visa Processing for 75 Countries Effective January 21, 2026
On January 14, 2026, the Department of State (DOS) announced that it will suspend immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries, effective January 21, 2026. The list of impacted countries includes the following:
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.
The new policy establishes a presumption of ineligibility under the public charge ground of inadmissibility pursuant to Section 212(a)(4) of the Immigration and Nationality Act for nationals of the listed countries. In line with this policy, the DOS has instructed Consular Officers to proceed with immigrant visa interviews and to subsequently suspend visa issuance under public charge grounds for all applicants from the affected countries not already refused on other grounds. However, dual nationals who apply with a passport from a country not subject to the suspension will continue to have their immigrant visa applications adjudicated. In addition, applicants who successfully demonstrate that their admission to the U.S. would serve the national interest may also be exempt from suspension.
According to the DOS, the immigrant visa processing suspension will remain in effect while the Department undertakes a review of its immigration processing procedures and develops additional vetting tools to more accurately identify applicants who would rely on welfare or become a public charge.
Notably, the suspension does not currently apply to the issuance of nonimmigrant visas. Additionally, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has not placed a hold on the adjudication of adjustment of status applications filed by nationals of the 75 countries who are already present in the U.S.
