President Trump has stated that immigrants must be financially self-sufficient and must not become a financial burden on Americans. As part of this approach, the U.S. Department of State is conducting a full review of policies, regulations, and guidance related to immigrant visa processing to ensure that immigrants from certain high-risk countries do not use welfare in the United States or become a public charge.

Effective January 21, 2026, the Department of State is pausing all visa issuances to immigrant visa applicants who are nationals of the countries listed below.

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Policy effective date

• Effective: January 21, 2026
• What changes: A pause on issuance of immigrant visas (the document specifies immigrant visa issuance is paused for affected nationals).

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Countries affected by the immigrant visa issuance pause

Immigrant visa issuances are paused for nationals of the following countries:

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What happens to immigrant visa interview appointments?

Immigrant visa applicants who are nationals of the affected countries:

• May still submit visa applications
• May still attend interviews
• Will continue to be scheduled for appointments

However, no immigrant visas will be issued to these nationals during the pause.

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Exceptions to the pause

An exception applies for dual nationals:

• Dual nationals applying with a valid passport from a country not listed above are exempt from the pause.

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Does this affect an already-valid immigrant visa?

No. The guidance states:

• No immigrant visas have been revoked as part of this guidance.

For questions about admission to the United States, the document refers readers to DHS.

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Does this apply to tourist visas?

No. This pause is specifically for immigrant visa applicants. The document clarifies that:

• Tourist visas are nonimmigrant visas, and this pause does not apply to them.