US pauses immigrant visa processing for dozens of countries

United States authorities will suspend the processing of immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries later this month, marking a significant tightening of the pathway to permanent residency as Washington undertakes a sweeping review of immigration screening and eligibility rules. The move, announced by the US Department of State, applies only to immigrant visas and does not affect non-immigrant categories such as tourist, student or business visas, which will continue to be processed.

The pause is part of a broader policy reassessment aimed at strengthening vetting standards for those seeking permanent residence. Immigrant visas allow foreign nationals to live and work indefinitely in the US and often serve as the final step before obtaining a green card. By contrast, non-immigrant visas are time-limited and tied to specific purposes, ranging from education to short-term employment.

Officials said the suspension is temporary and designed to give the administration time to evaluate whether existing screening procedures adequately address national security, fraud prevention and compliance with evolving immigration laws. The announcement was made through the department’s official account on X, underscoring the government’s effort to communicate policy shifts quickly to a global audience.

While the State Department did not publicly release a detailed list of the 75 affected countries at the time of the announcement, people familiar with the matter said the scope reflects a mix of regions and income levels rather than a single geographic focus. Diplomatic missions have been instructed to halt new immigrant visa interviews for applicants from those countries once the pause takes effect, though cases already issued visas are not expected to be revoked.

Immigration lawyers and advocacy groups said the decision could disrupt family reunification, employment-based migration and diversity visa pathways, all of which rely heavily on immigrant visa processing. For families separated across borders, delays could stretch into months if the review takes longer than anticipated. Employers that depend on foreign professionals transitioning from temporary work visas to permanent status may also face uncertainty.

Government officials emphasised that the review is not intended as a blanket restriction on immigration but as an administrative reset. They argued that global migration patterns, security risks and document verification technologies have changed significantly in recent years, requiring updated standards. The review is expected to examine background checks, document authentication, data-sharing with foreign governments and the consistency of eligibility determinations across embassies.

The decision comes amid heightened political scrutiny of immigration policy in Washington, where border management, asylum rules and legal migration pathways have become central issues in domestic debate. Successive administrations have used administrative pauses and reviews to recalibrate visa policies, often citing the need to balance openness with security.

Non-immigrant visa applicants, including tourists, students and business travellers, are not affected by the suspension. Consular sections will continue to process these applications, a distinction that officials say reflects the temporary nature of such visas and the existing screening mechanisms already in place for short-term entry.

For countries with large diasporas in the US, the pause may have ripple effects beyond individual applicants. Remittances, labour market dynamics and community ties often depend on steady immigration flows. Analysts note that even temporary disruptions can create backlogs that take months to clear once processing resumes.