U.S. Pauses Immigrant Visa Processing for 75 Countries

The Trump Administration is pausing immigrant visa processing for 75 countries as of Jan. 21. While people looking to immigrate to the United States can continue to apply and attend appointments in their countries of residence, the issuance of visas will be stopped indefinitely. This applies both to workers looking to relocate to the U.S. as well as those wanting to join family there. According to labor law firm Fisher Phillips, the pause does not affect extentions or changes in status for those already granted a U.S. immigrant visa. Neither does it affect non-immigrant visa issuing, for example of tourist visas, student visas, H1-B visas (a non-immigrant work visa), L-1, O-1 or E visas. However, green card processing involving consular services might also be affected.

Among the countries on the list published on Jan. 14 are Brazil, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Colombia as well as Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. European nations banned from processing include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Moldova. All North-African nations as well as many in West, Central and East Africa are also affected, including Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda and Tanzania.

The administration said it was reviewing immigration procedures and was targeting nations whose immigrants were likely to become dependent on public benefits. List entries ranged from war-torn countries like Afghanistan, Yemen or Syria to poor nations like Bangladesh or Guinea, but also included more affluent places like Uruguay, the Bahamas or Kuwait.

While the list has some overlap with countries on the general travel ban list updated in December, the two are not congruent as travel ban countries are listed due to perceived security threats (non-immigrant and immigrant visa ban), while the newer immigrant visa pause is in reference to the cited belief that people will not support themselves as U.S. residents.