US Suspends Immigrant Visa Processing for 75 Countries

The following article first appeared in the News & Insights section of Carmody Torrance Sandak Hennessey’s website. It is reposted here with permission.

---

The U.S. Department of State announced that effective Jan. 21, 2026, it will suspend issuance of immigrant visas to nationals from 75 countries.

DOS has not announced an end date for this suspension, which is in effect while it reviews its procedures for determining whether an applicant is likely to become financially dependent on the U.S. government.

Based on current guidance from DOS, it appears that this pause only applies to immigrant visa (i.e., green card) applications filed abroad through U.S. embassies.

Nonimmigrant visas, as well as green card applications filed from within the U.S., should not be impacted by this pause. 

Nationals from the affected countries may still submit visa applications and attend immigrant visa interviews during this pause.

Dual nationals applying for an immigrant visa with the passport of a country not included in the list are exempt from this suspension. 

The suspension will apply to nationals of the following 75 countries:

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

*Currently included on full travel ban list; **Currently included on partial travel ban list.

Many of the countries included in the above list are already subject to the current travel ban list that took effect on Jan. 1, 2026.

Applications for foreign nationals who were born in, or are citizens of, travel ban countries are already subject to the pause on final decisions announced in December, meaning that they would already only qualify for a U.S. immigrant visa in the rare instance that they are deemed eligible for a travel ban exception.

---

About the authors: Lauren Hopwood is a partner at Carmody Torrance and leads the firm’s Immigration practice. Johanna Bachmair is an associate in Carmody’s Corporate & Business group and a member of the firm’s Immigration practice.