State Department Pauses Immigrant Visa Processing for 75 Countries

January 22, 2026

What's New

Effective January 21, 2026, the State Department has paused issuing immigrant visas for applicants of 75 countries out of concern that these immigrants will use welfare programs in the United States. An immigrant visa allows an individual to enter the United States and become a lawful permanent resident (green card holder) immediately upon admission. The pause does not apply to nonimmigrant visas such as H-1B, L-1, O-1, F-1, or J-1.

The affected countries span the globe and include Brazil, Colombia, Ghana, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Russia. The full list can be found in the State Department notice.

Individuals from these 75 countries may still attend scheduled immigrant visa interviews, but no immigrant visas will be issued during the pause. Existing valid immigrant visas are not revoked.

What It Means

Foreign national workers from the 75 impacted countries who are pursuing a green card should expect significant delays. Employees traveling internationally for immigrant visa appointments should not expect to receive visa approval until the pause is lifted. However, adjustment-of-status filings inside the United States should not be directly impacted.

Temporary work visa processing continues uninterrupted, and employers may rely on extensions, amendments, and changes of employer for H-1B, L-1, O-1, and other nonimmigrant categories.

What You Should Do

Review whether any affected employees or new hires are in the final stages of the green card process, communicate expected delays, plan for start-date or assignment disruptions, and assess whether impacted employees are eligible for any temporary work visas.

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