Overview
- Officials released a 75‑country list spanning Africa, South Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and the Balkans, with examples including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Russia, Brazil, Nigeria, Iran and Somalia.
- Consulates will keep accepting filings and holding interviews, but immigrant visas for affected nationals will not be printed or issued, and already issued immigrant visas are not being revoked.
- Dual nationals applying with a valid passport from a country not on the list are exempt, and matters related to admission at the border remain under the Department of Homeland Security.
- The department set no end date or benchmarks for lifting the pause, and guidance says some approved but unprinted immigrant visas will be refused during the review.
- The move extends the administration’s broader immigration crackdown that has included expanded travel restrictions and more than 100,000 visa revocations since President Trump returned to office.