If you or a loved one is waiting on an immigrant visa from one of the 75 affected countries, you have probably felt stuck — and understandably frustrated — for the better part of this year. We want to give you a clear, plain-language update on where things stand as of July 2026, clear up some confusing news you may have heard, and explain what you can do while we wait.
First, the short version
The pause is still in effect. Since January 21, 2026, the U.S. State Department has stopped issuing immigrant visas to applicants from 75 countries, saying it wants to make sure new immigrants won’t rely on public benefits. There is no announced end date. But there is an active court case that could change that, and there are meaningful steps you can take right now to protect your case.
Check if your country is affected
The pause applies to nationals of the following 75 countries:
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, The Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyz Republic, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Macedonia, 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.
A couple of things to keep in mind: what matters is your nationality, not just where you live. And if you hold citizenship in a second country that is not on this list and can apply using that passport, the pause may not apply to you. If your country is on this list — or you’re not sure how it applies to your situation — reach out to us and we’ll walk through it with you.
What the pause actually does
It helps to understand exactly what this policy does and doesn’t do, because a lot of rumors are circulating.
Your case is not cancelled. The government is still accepting applications and still holding interviews. What it is not doing is the final step — printing the visa. Many cases that would otherwise be approved are being put on hold after the interview instead.
No one’s existing visa was taken away. If a visa was already issued, this policy does not revoke it.
It only affects immigrant visas (green card visas processed abroad). Tourist visas, student visas, and most work visas are not part of this pause — though people from these countries are being asked more detailed financial questions across the board.
If you’re already in the U.S., this may not apply to you. People adjusting their status here in the United States go through a different agency (USCIS), and that process is separate from this pause. If you’re unsure which situation you’re in, ask us — it makes a big difference.
“But I heard a court struck it down?”
This is the most common thing we’re hearing from clients right now, and it’s worth clearing up carefully — because the answer is easy to get wrong.
In June, a federal judge did strike down a major set of immigration freezes. That was a real and important victory. But that ruling was about a different policy — one that affected people applying for green cards, work permits, and citizenship from inside the United States, tied to a separate travel-ban list of countries. It helped a lot of people, but it did not lift the 75-country pause on visas being issued at embassies abroad.
So if you’re waiting on a visa interview or a visa to be printed at a U.S. embassy overseas, that June ruling unfortunately does not apply to your situation. We know that’s disappointing, and we don’t want you to rely on good news that isn’t actually about your case.
The case that could actually help: the 75-country lawsuit
There is a separate lawsuit — brought by immigrant-rights organizations and families in exactly your position — that directly challenges the 75-country pause. It argues that the government cannot single out people by nationality and cannot replace the normal, individual review of each applicant with a blanket “no.”
As of now, that case has been fully argued and is waiting on a decision from the judge. If the families bringing it win, the goal is to lift the pause for everyone from the affected countries and return to normal, case-by-case processing — not just for the people named in the lawsuit.
We want to be honest about the road ahead: even a favorable decision could be appealed and temporarily put on hold by a higher court. These things can move quickly and unpredictably. We are watching this case closely and will update you as it develops.
What “public charge” means for your interview
The stated reason for all of this is “public charge” — the government wanting assurance that immigrants can support themselves and won’t depend on public benefits. Even at embassies that are still issuing visas, officers are asking much more detailed financial questions than before.
Prepare for a more detailed financial examination
Applicants should be ready to explain and document:
- The petitioner’s current income and employment;
- Recent tax returns or tax transcripts;
- Any valid tax-filing extension;
- Savings, investments, or other available assets;
- The intended U.S. residence;
- Who will live in the household;
- The applicant’s education, training, and employment history;
- Expected employment and salary in the United States;
- Any licensing or retraining requirements;
- Financial support during a job-search period; and
- Specific health-insurance plans and estimated premiums.
One embassy in particular has been asking applicants to prepare a written statement ahead of the interview covering three areas:
- Where you’ll live — your address in the U.S. if you have one, your plan to find housing if you don’t, and who you’ll be living with.
- How you’ll support yourself — the kind of work you plan to do, your education and experience, whether you’ll need any licenses or training first, any job searching you’ve already done, and what you expect to earn.
- Health insurance — whether you’ll have coverage, whether you can join a family member’s plan, and if not, what plan you’d get and what it would cost each month.
We’ve seen even high-earning applicants get very thorough questioning, so this is worth taking seriously regardless of your income level.
What you should do right now
- Attend your interview if you have one scheduled. Don’t skip it. Even with the pause, going to your interview keeps your case moving and gets it as “ready” as possible, so that if the pause lifts, there’s nothing left standing in the way.
- Keep every document and notice. Save your case numbers, appointment notices, any refusal or “administrative processing” letters, and screenshots of your case status online. If processing reopens, having a complete record will help.
- Come prepared to talk about your finances. Be ready to discuss housing, work, and health insurance, and bring supporting documents — recent tax returns, savings and bank statements, and proof of any assets or insurance. Interviews used to be light on paperwork; that’s changed.
- Ask us about your options. Depending on your specific situation, there may be alternatives worth exploring — for example, if you hold citizenship in a second country that isn’t on the list, or if you’re already in the U.S. in a valid status. These don’t work for everyone, but they’re worth checking.
We’re here to help you through this
This has been a genuinely hard and uncertain year for families caught up in this pause, and we don’t want to sugarcoat that. But your case is not forgotten, the legal fight is ongoing, and there are concrete things we can do to keep you in the strongest possible position while the courts sort this out.
If you have questions about how the pause affects your case — or you’ve heard something that has you worried — please reach out to us. We’d rather talk it through with you than have you sit with the uncertainty alone.
This update is general information, not legal advice about your specific case. Immigration rules and court decisions are changing quickly right now, so please contact Heflin Law PLC before making any decisions based on what you read here.
