The Trump administration announced today that it will ban immigrant visa processing for citizens of 75 countries.  

Who is Affected

• Starting January 21, 2026, individuals from 75 countries face restrictions in immigrant visa issuance at U.S. embassies and consulates abroad. This affects beneficiaries of both family-based and employment-based immigration.
• If you are already in the U.S. and applying for a green card through Adjustment of Status (AOS), your case is not impacted by the visa restrictions as of now.

Affected Countries:

What This Means

• Visa restrictions mean that if you are applying for an immigrant visa (green card) at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad, your case may not be processed at the embassy. You may still file a petition with USCIS and your case should move forward with USCIS. The new policy only impacts visa issuance abroad.
• For clients already in the U.S., Adjustment of Status applications should continue as normal.
• Non-immigrant visas (tourist, student, work visas such as B, F, H visas) are not impacted by this policy.

Who is Not Affected

• Individuals with Adjustment of Status cases already in process inside the U.S.
• Non-immigrant visas like tourist, student, H-1B visas, L-1 visas.
• Cases already approved or in progress under exception categories (e.g., national interest exceptions, certain work authorization renewals)

Recommendations

1. File your immigrant petitions now – Even if you are outside the U.S., filing your I-130, I-140, or other immigrant petitions now is important. Processing can take several years, and restrictions are likely to be lifted by the time your case reaches a U.S. embassy.
2. Respond promptly to USCIS requests – RFEs or interview notices should be answered quickly to keep your case moving.
3. Monitor your case – Stay aware of updates from USCIS and U.S. embassies. We recommend following our social media channels and subscribing to our newsletters as we post regular updates that could impact our clients.

Next Steps:

File your petitions promptly and work with our team to ensure your case is prepared and protected throughout the process. For current clients, our team will reach out if this policy impacts your case.  For new clients, call us at 703-348-1663 to file an immigrant petition now and prevent future delays obtaining status.

‍