The US is pausing a major part of its immigration pipeline, a move that could have far-reaching implications for global mobility and international travel.
The government announced it will temporarily suspend the processing of immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries, including the Bahamas, Fiji, Iran, Russia, and Thailand, a decision rooted in concerns over public assistance. It won’t affect vacations or short-term visits for most travelers, but does reshape how—and whether—citizens of other countries can move to the United States permanently.
“The State Department will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates,” the department said on social media. “The freeze will remain active until the US can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people.”
The suspension is based on a long-standing principle in US immigration law that allows officials to deny permanent residency to applicants they believe are likely to rely heavily on government benefits. This concept has existed for decades, but the current move scales it up dramatically. Rather than evaluating applications one by one, the US State Department is halting processing altogether for applicants from 75 countries while it reassesses how those standards are applied. For applicants, that means paperwork already submitted may simply sit untouched, and interviews may be delayed indefinitely.
The pause, which will begin January 21, applies only to immigrant visas, the category used by people who plan to live and work in the US long term, often through family sponsorship or employment. These are the visas that lead to permanent residency.
What the policy does not touch, at least for citizens of countries that don’t already have a US travel ban, are the visas most travelers encounter: tourist visas, business visas, and student visas, as well as visa-waiver travel. For anyone planning a trip to the US this year, flights are currently still operating, borders are still open, and short stays are still allowed.
The move comes as part of the administration’s broader efforts to restrict legal immigration into the US, as well as clamp down on illegal immigration. Many of the countries on this list, such as Iran and Laos, are ones for which the administration has already enacted a travel ban.
What countries are affected?
The full list of countries reportedly includes Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.
Why does this matter to travelers?
Travel and immigration are rarely as separate as they seem, says Gigio Ninan, an immigration attorney at Shankar Ninan & Co. in New York.
“Even though B1/B2 visas are exempt from this requirement, this tourist visa category will take a ‘hit’ since ‘intent’ is everything,” says Ninan. “Consular officers have wide discretion, and I’m expecting longer wait times for interviews and more intrusive financial questions. There may be more denials, too.”
Many people who ultimately settle in the US also begin their journey as visitors, students, or temporary workers. They travel back and forth for years before applying for permanent residency. A sudden pause in immigrant visa processing—especially one as broad as this—introduces uncertainty into those long-term plans, even if it doesn’t change who can board a plane tomorrow.