USA: Important New Rules For Global Travel

• Immigrant Visa Focus: The suspension particularly targets these searching for everlasting residency, comparable to inexperienced playing cards, fairly than short-term guests or college students.
• Public Cost Scrutiny: Consular officers at the moment are utilizing expanded standards to judge an applicant’s chance of counting on authorities welfare packages.
• Indefinite Timeline: The U.S. authorities has not supplied a particular date for when the processing freeze will likely be lifted or modified.
• Geographic Scope: The coverage impacts 75 various nations, together with main companions within the Caribbean, Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

The US State Division has introduced an indefinite suspension of immigrant visa processing for residents of 75 international locations, efficient January 21, 2026. This directive, following a broader immigration technique, goals to forestall the entry of people deemed prone to turn into a public cost, or those that would possibly depend on public advantages for fundamental wants comparable to monetary help or long-term medical care. The pause impacts nations throughout a number of continents, together with the Bahamas, Brazil, Jamaica, Russia, and Somalia, successfully halting authorized everlasting residency pathways for roughly 38% of all nations.

Beneath the brand new coverage, consular officers are instructed to halt the issuance of immigrant visas whereas the State Division reassesses its screening and vetting procedures. This reassessment focuses on components comparable to well being, age, monetary sources, and English proficiency to make sure that new immigrants are financially self-sufficient. Whereas the suspension is sweeping, it particularly targets immigrant visas meant for these searching for everlasting residence. It doesn’t at the moment apply to non-immigrant classes, comparable to momentary vacationer (B-1/B-2), pupil (F/M), or enterprise visas, although candidates in these classes might face elevated scrutiny.

The transfer has created vital uncertainty for thousands and thousands of households, expert staff, and employers who rely on authorized immigration channels. The State Division has indicated that the freeze will stay in place till the federal government can be certain that immigration doesn’t place an undue burden on the American welfare system. There is no such thing as a confirmed timeline for when processing would possibly resume. Whereas sure humanitarian or nationwide curiosity exceptions could also be thought of on a case-by-case foundation, nearly all of candidates from the listed international locations should now put together for indefinite delays of their relocation and reunification plans.

In accordance with a State Division cable and varied stories from January 14, 2026, the next 75 international locations are topic to the indefinite suspension of immigrant visa processing beginning January 21, 2026:

Africa & Center East (33)

Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Yemen.

Asia & Pacific (18)

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Fiji, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, Uzbekistan.

Americas & Caribbean (15)

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, Venezuela.

Europe & Eurasia (9)

Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Russia.

Key Clarifications

• Non-Immigrant Visas: This particular pause solely impacts immigrant visas (these searching for a Inexperienced Card or everlasting residency). Vacationer (B1/B2), pupil (F/M), and most momentary work visas should not included on this 75-country pause, although they might nonetheless be topic to the sooner 39-country journey ban restrictions.
• Efficient Date: The processing freeze is scheduled to start at 12:01 a.m. EST on January 21, 2026.
• Twin Nationals: If you happen to maintain a passport from a rustic not on this record, you might be able to proceed with visa processing utilizing that nationality.