U.S. Suspends Immigrant Visa Processing for Citizens of 75 Countries: What This Means for Families and Employers

On January 14, 2026, multiple major outlets reported that the U.S. government will suspend immigrant visa processing for citizens of 75 countries, with the change expected to begin January 21, 2026. This is a significant development for families and employers relying on consular processing abroad.

Immigrant visa processing is the pathway used for many people seeking lawful permanent residence (a green card) from outside the United States—often through family sponsorship or employment.

What exactly is being suspended?

This policy is described as a pause in immigrant visa processing for nationals of the listed countries at U.S. embassies and consulates.

This is not the same as “all travel is banned.” It is focused on immigrant visas (green-card-track visas issued abroad), not necessarily every type of temporary visa.

Who may be affected?

This policy is most likely to impact people who are:

• Citizens of one of the listed countries and completing the green card process through a U.S. consulate.

• Waiting for a consular interview, administrative processing, or final visa issuance after an approval.

• Approved on the petition side (USCIS) and moving through the National Visa Center (NVC) process toward interview scheduling.

In other words: if your plan was “approval → NVC → embassy interview → immigrant visa,” this development may interrupt that path.

Why is this happening?

According to the coverage, the administration is tying the suspension to concerns that some new immigrants could be deemed more likely to rely on public assistance.

Regardless of the language used publicly, what matters for applicants is the practical result: cases may stop moving, interviews may not be scheduled, and consular posts may receive instructions that limit what they can issue—even where the underlying petition has already been approved.

What this does (and does not) mean in practice

This is not the same as saying “all travel is banned,” and it does not necessarily apply the same way to nonimmigrant visas like tourist or student visas. However, even when a policy is written narrowly, real-world impact can be broad. When consular posts are instructed to pause a category of visas, families often experience cancellations, delays, or shifting requirements with little warning.

If you have a pending case, do not rely on social media summaries. The details, and any exceptions, will matter.

What you should do now if you have a pending immigrant visa case

First, identify exactly where your case sits:

If your case is still at USCIS, confirm petition status and keep your file current and well documented.

If your case is at the NVC, confirm whether all documents are accepted and whether interview scheduling is moving for your post.

If you already have an interview date, do not assume it is canceled—but watch closely for official instructions and be prepared for short-notice changes.

Second, do not make irreversible travel or life decisions until you understand your case posture. Consular delays can disrupt planned start dates, family reunification timelines, and employer onboarding.

Third, if you may qualify for an alternative strategy, such as adjustment of status (in certain situations for people already in the United States), it is worth evaluating quickly. Strategy is very fact-specific, but timing can be critical.

What we are watching next

We expect additional guidance to come in layers, including:

• State Department instructions to consular posts on implementation.

• How pending cases at NVC or already-in-process cases are handled.

• Whether exceptions exist (or are created) for particular visa categories, humanitarian factors, or case postures.

• Potential legal challenges and court orders affecting enforcement.

How our office can help

If you believe your case may be affected by the immigrant visa processing suspension, we can review your file, confirm where it is pending (USCIS vs. NVC vs. consulate), and advise on next steps.

When you contact us, it helps to include: your country of citizenship, current location, the basis for the case (family or employment), and whether the case is at USCIS, NVC, or already at a consulate.