The United States will pause immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries beginning January 21, 2026, as the Trump administration tightens screening for prospective immigrants it says may become “public charges” by relying on U.S. welfare benefits.
In a notice published by the State Department on its travel portal, the pause applies to immigrant visas—routes to permanent residency such as family-based, employment-based, and certain other categories—while non-immigrant visas (including tourist and business visas) are not covered.
The department said consular officers have been instructed to halt immigrant visa applications from the affected countries while Washington reassesses procedures to prevent what it described as abuse of the immigration system. The move follows a broader directive issued in November that tightened public-charge related vetting, according to the State Department notice.
The list spans multiple regions, with a heavy concentration in Africa. Countries included range from Nigeria, Egypt, Somalia and Sudan to Russia and Iran, according to the State Department’s published list. The department did not set out a single end-date, stating instead that processing will remain paused pending review and updated guidance.
The new pause lands amid a broader tightening of U.S. visa policies over the past year. Separately, the State Department has expanded a visa bond pilot program requiring certain B-1/B-2 visitors from designated countries to post $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 bonds, with the department citing immigration law authority and DHS overstay-rate data. That bond list—updated January 8, 2026—includes countries such as Nigeria (effective Jan. 21, 2026), as well as Bhutan, Botswana, the Central African Republic, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia and Turkmenistan (effective Jan. 1, 2026).
Immigration lawyers and advocates warn the immigrant-visa pause could create significant backlogs, disrupt family reunification timelines, and increase uncertainty for applicants already in lengthy processing pipelines. Employers could also face delays for workers pursuing permanent residence through consular processing.
For now, the State Department is directing affected applicants to monitor official updates as it reviews criteria and procedures that will govern when, and how, processing resumes.
