In a surprise move late on January 21, 2026, the U.S. Department of State directed every consular post worldwide to stop issuing immigrant visas to applicants from 75 mostly developing nations. The indefinite “pause” took effect immediately and applies to all forms of consular processing for permanent residence, from family-based petitions to employment-based cases. Visa appointments may still be scheduled, but consular officers have been told not to print the visas until a security and public-charge policy review is completed.
According to the internal cable, the action targets countries that, in State’s view, present higher risks of welfare usage once immigrants arrive in the United States. The list spans every region—Afghanistan and Iran in Asia, Nigeria and Ethiopia in Africa, Brazil and Haiti in the Americas, and Russia and Belarus in Europe. Dual nationals with passports from a non-listed country are exempt, and the pause does not affect temporary (non-immigrant) visas such as H-1B, L-1 or B-1/B-2.
Amid this uncertainty, many travelers and HR teams are turning to third-party facilitators for real-time guidance. VisaHQ, a leading online platform for visa and passport processing, offers consolidated updates, appointment rescheduling, and alternative strategy advice through its U.S. portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/). By centralizing case tracking and alerting users to policy shifts as they happen, VisaHQ can help organizations mitigate disruption and keep mobility plans on course during the suspension.
![U.S. pauses immigrant-visa issuance for nationals of 75 countries]()
Corporate mobility managers now face an immediate planning problem. Multinational employers with green-card pipelines for talent in the affected countries must pivot to alternatives—most commonly, continuing employees’ U.S. status through extensions of L-1, H-1B or E-2 visas, or relocating staff to third countries while the review unfolds. Employers expecting transferees to arrive on immigrant visas in the next few months should prepare for delays and budget for additional legal costs.
For individuals, the key advice is caution. Foreign employees from the 75 countries who are already in the United States and eligible to adjust status through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) should do so rather than travel abroad for consular processing. Those outside the United States with scheduled immigrant-visa interviews should expect cancellations and should not give notice to current employers or sell property until new guidance emerges.
The Department of State has not indicated how long the review will take or what benchmarks must be met before immigrant-visa printing resumes. Immigration lawyers predict litigation challenging the blanket nature of the suspension, but a court decision could take months. In the meantime, global mobility teams should map affected employees, update relocation timelines and brief senior leadership on contingency options.
According to the internal cable, the action targets countries that, in State’s view, present higher risks of welfare usage once immigrants arrive in the United States. The list spans every region—Afghanistan and Iran in Asia, Nigeria and Ethiopia in Africa, Brazil and Haiti in the Americas, and Russia and Belarus in Europe. Dual nationals with passports from a non-listed country are exempt, and the pause does not affect temporary (non-immigrant) visas such as H-1B, L-1 or B-1/B-2.
Amid this uncertainty, many travelers and HR teams are turning to third-party facilitators for real-time guidance. VisaHQ, a leading online platform for visa and passport processing, offers consolidated updates, appointment rescheduling, and alternative strategy advice through its U.S. portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/). By centralizing case tracking and alerting users to policy shifts as they happen, VisaHQ can help organizations mitigate disruption and keep mobility plans on course during the suspension.
Corporate mobility managers now face an immediate planning problem. Multinational employers with green-card pipelines for talent in the affected countries must pivot to alternatives—most commonly, continuing employees’ U.S. status through extensions of L-1, H-1B or E-2 visas, or relocating staff to third countries while the review unfolds. Employers expecting transferees to arrive on immigrant visas in the next few months should prepare for delays and budget for additional legal costs.
For individuals, the key advice is caution. Foreign employees from the 75 countries who are already in the United States and eligible to adjust status through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) should do so rather than travel abroad for consular processing. Those outside the United States with scheduled immigrant-visa interviews should expect cancellations and should not give notice to current employers or sell property until new guidance emerges.
The Department of State has not indicated how long the review will take or what benchmarks must be met before immigrant-visa printing resumes. Immigration lawyers predict litigation challenging the blanket nature of the suspension, but a court decision could take months. In the meantime, global mobility teams should map affected employees, update relocation timelines and brief senior leadership on contingency options.
