Originally Posted: 12/9/2025 | Updated 1/06/2026
As reported by Reuters and many other outlets, a DOS spokesperson has confirmed that, beginning January 21, 2026, the Trump Administration will pause immigrant visa issuance at U.S. consulates for applicants from 75 countries. A screenshot of the internal cable is available here.
According to additional guidance circulated by the Department of State to all consular posts and AILA, this pause will be implemented through refusals under INA §221(g) while the agency reassesses its screening and vetting procedures. The pause creates a new, non-statutory presumption of INA §212(a)(4) (public charge) ineligibility for immigrant visa applicants applying with passports from the impacted countries. There remains no timeline for when immigrant visa issuance may resume.
Importantly, consular interviews are expected to continue. State Department guidance instructs officers to conduct interviews and fully assess each applicant. Officers are directed to first evaluate whether any other grounds of inadmissibility apply (such as criminal-related grounds under INA §212(a)(2)). If no such grounds exist, officers are instructed to refuse the case under §212(a)(4) and hold the application under §221(g). Applicants are still expected to appear for immigrant visa interviews with all required documentation, including medical exams and police certificates.
The DOS has stated that this suspension applies only to immigrant visa (permanent residence) processing. It does not apply to nonimmigrant visas. There is also no indication at this time that Adjustment of Status applications pending with USCIS will be impacted.
Dual nationals who apply using a passport from a country not subject to the pause may still be eligible for final adjudication. A national interest exemption also appears to be available, though it is expected to be granted only in limited circumstances. Additionally, immigrant visas that have already been issued are not being revoked. However, if an immigrant visa was printed but not yet delivered to the applicant, it may be cancelled without prejudice. If the visa had not yet been printed, it will not be printed during the pause.
Though not officially published in a formal DOS memo, reporting indicates that the affected countries include 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, Côte 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.
As of the time of this update, the underlying DOS directive has not been formally published. Individuals with upcoming immigrant visa interviews from affected countries should carefully consider their options by reaching out to their BIL attorney, as proceeding with an interview may result in a §221(g) refusal (administrative processing) with no clear timeframe for resolution.
We will continue to monitor this situation closely and provide updates as additional guidance becomes available.
