State Department Pauses Immigrant Visa Processing for 75 Countries

The State Department just made it official. Starting January 21, 2026, they're pausing immigrant visa processing for people from 75 countries.

The official announcement says the department is doing "a full review of all policies, regulations, and guidance" to make sure immigrants from these countries don't use welfare or become a public charge.

There's no end date.

Here's what you need to know.

What's actually happening?

The State Department says that starting January 21, no immigrant visas will be issued to nationals of 75 countries.

But here's the important part: you can still submit your application and attend your interview. The department will keep scheduling appointments. They just won't issue any visas during the pause.

So your case isn't dead. It's frozen.

How big is the impact?

According to David Bier at the Cato Institute, this will affect nearly half of all legal immigrants to the U.S. That's about 315,000 people over the next year.

Which visas are affected?

This only applies to immigrant visas. Tourist visas are not part of this pause.

Visas that ARE paused (for the 75 countries listed below)

Family-based immigrant visas:

• IR-1/CR-1 (spouse of U.S. citizen)
• IR-2/CR-2 (child of U.S. citizen)
• IR-5 (parent of U.S. citizen)
• F1 (unmarried adult children of U.S. citizens)
• F2A/F2B (spouse and children of green card holders)
• F3 (married adult children of U.S. citizens)
• F4 (siblings of U.S. citizens)

Employment-based immigrant visas:

• EB-1 (priority workers)
• EB-2 (advanced degree professionals)
• EB-3 (skilled workers)
• EB-4 (special immigrants)
• EB-5 (investors)

Other immigrant visas:

• DV (Diversity Visa lottery winners)
• SB (returning residents)

Visas that are NOT affected

The State Department confirmed that tourist visas are not part of this pause. Here's what should still be processed normally:

• B-1/B-2 (tourist and business visitors)
• F-1 (students)
• J-1 (exchange visitors)
• H-1B (specialty workers)
• H-2A/H-2B (temporary workers)
• L-1 (intracompany transferees)
• O-1 (extraordinary ability)

Also not affected:

• Adjustment of Status (Form I-485) filed inside the U.S.
• Any USCIS application processed domestically

The full list of 75 countries

Here's the official list from the State Department:

Africa: Algeria, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda

Middle East: Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen

Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand

Europe and Central Asia: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Russia, Uzbekistan

Americas: 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

Pacific: Fiji

What's the "public charge" rule?

It's a rule that's been around for a long time. Consular officers can deny your visa if they think you'll need government benefits after you arrive.

They look at things like:

• Your age and health
• How much money you have
• Your job history and skills
• Whether you speak English
• If you've used public benefits before
• Whether you have family in the U.S. who can support you

The State Department says it selected these 75 countries based on a November order from DHS that tightened rules around potential public charges.

What about the 2026 World Cup?

Good news for soccer fans: tourist visas are not part of this pause.

The State Department confirmed to Forbes that visitors coming for the World Cup won't be affected. FIFA expects the tournament to bring $30.5 billion to the U.S. economy and create 185,000 jobs.

That said, 15 of the 42 qualified countries are on this list: Brazil, Morocco, Colombia, Iran, Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, Tunisia, Algeria, Ivory Coast, Haiti, Jordan, Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, and Uruguay.

While the immigrant visa pause won't stop fans from attending, U.S. tourism has been struggling. The U.S. was the only country in the world to see international visitor spending decline in 2025, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council.

Other recent visa changes for travelers

Even though tourist visas aren't paused, there are other changes to know about:

Visa bonds: The State Department expanded its visa bond program to 38 countries. Citizens of these countries may need to post bonds of up to $15,000 to get a tourist visa.

New fees: The "Big Beautiful Bill" added a $250 visa integrity fee to most non-immigrant visas, including tourist, student, and work visas.

If you're planning to visit the U.S. for the World Cup, start your visa application early and budget for these costs.

If you're already in the U.S.

This pause is about consular processing abroad. It doesn't affect applications you file inside the country with USCIS.

If you're in the U.S. and eligible to adjust status, that's handled domestically. Different rules apply.

We'll keep you updated

This story is still developing. We'll update this post as we learn more.

If you're worried about your specific case, talking to an immigration attorney might help. They can give advice based on your situation.

Need help with your immigration forms? Immiva walks you through USCIS applications step by step. See how it works →