US suspends certain immigrant visa procedures for 75 countries
Jan 15, 2026
Washington DC [US], January 15: The US is pausing immigrant visa processing for 75 countries. The US State Department confirmed the move at the request of dpa on Wednesday, and specified that visa procedures relating to permanent stays (immigrant visas) are being paused.
These visas are applied for by people who want to settle permanently in the US. As a rule, these do not involve temporary stays such as study or work periods of a specific duration. Nor do they involve holidays in the US, for which no visa is required from many countries when an entry permit is obtained.
The State Department did not disclose which countries are affected by the new restrictions. However, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt posted a report on the subject by Fox News on the platform X and wrote that Somalia, Russia and Iran were among the 75 countries.
No reason was given for the suspension of the visa process. It also remained unclear when the suspension would come into effect, though Fox News reported the start date would be January 21.
Source: Qatar Tribune
