(PAKISTAN) — The US Department of State suspended immigrant visa issuance for nationals of 75 countries, including Pakistan, effective January 21, 2026, triggering warnings from Pakistani immigration agents and travel consultants about delays for families and potential damage to remittances.
The US Embassy in Islamabad announced the pause on January 14, 2026, linking it to a new vetting push aimed at ensuring immigrant applicants “will not rely on public assistance,” and attributing the decision to Secretary Rubio.
Pause and rationale
State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggott said the action uses existing authority to deem immigrants ineligible if they are likely to become a public charge.
Piggott said the measure halts processing until protocols are reevaluated to prevent welfare reliance, framing the pause as part of a maximum-vetting approach focused on the public charge standard.
Immediate clarifications and instructions
The embassy and State Department officials clarified that the measure applies to immigrant visas, including pathways tied to family reunification, employment, diversity visas and green cards pursued through consular processing.
Nonimmigrant visas remain unaffected, including tourist and student visas and work and exchange categories such as H-1B, J-1 and F-1, according to the distributed clarifications.
Applicants were told they should still attend scheduled interviews, but visas will not be issued while the pause remains in effect, the clarifications said.
Dual nationals who hold passports from non-affected countries are exempt from the suspension, the same guidance said.
Scope and affected countries
No end date has been set, leaving families and employers without a timeline for when immigrant visa issuance could restart for Pakistan and other affected countries.
The State Department’s guidance said processing would resume after vetting reviews conclude, and that follow-up notifications will be issued once protocols are reevaluated.
The pause covers nationals of 75 countries, with the list including Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as Nigeria and Egypt, among others, according to materials circulated with the announcement.
Other countries named include Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Haiti, Cuba, Russia, Syria, Sudan, Somalia and Yemen, underscoring the policy’s wide geographic reach.
Impact in Pakistan
The embassy’s announcement and Piggott’s comments have fueled anxiety across Pakistan among people who had been waiting years for interview appointments and were expecting immigrant visa issuance soon after.
Immigration agents and residents said the pause is likely to disrupt family reunification plans, employment moves and education decisions, especially for applicants whose interviews are scheduled after long waits.
Travel agents and consultants in Pakistan warned of broader economic effects, saying Pakistan’s economy depends on dollars earned by overseas workers and that delays could weaken remittance inflows.
Travel agents said the immediate concern is for clients who had structured their finances around a near-term departure, including flight purchases and arrangements with relatives abroad.
Practical disruptions
For immigration agents, the practical effect is that clients who are documentarily prepared and scheduled for interviews may still attend, yet remain unable to receive an immigrant visa once the interview concludes.
That gap between an interview appointment and an actual visa issuance has left many applicants unsure whether to pause travel plans, housing arrangements and job transitions tied to an expected move date.
Consultants said the uncertainty could ripple through recruitment and relocation planning for families with employment-based immigrant visa cases, where job start dates and school enrollment can be difficult to shift.
Policy context and reactions
The suspension follows Presidential Proclamation 10998, which took effect January 1, 2026, and restricted visas for 39 countries, according to the same set of statements and summaries circulated in Pakistan.
The latest pause was described in the materials as part of a broader “America First” measure and was characterized by Pakistani immigration agents as unprecedented in scope.
Some residents described the move as unfair double standards aimed at third-world countries and urged President Trump to reconsider, pointing to Pakistan’s alliance with the United States.
Law firms including Jackson Lewis and Bernstein Shur are monitoring for updates, reflecting the legal scrutiny that often follows abrupt shifts in consular processing and eligibility standards.
Practical realities and next steps
For Pakistan-based applicants, the practical reality is that their cases now depend on policy reviews in Washington and follow-up notices from consular posts once updated vetting protocols are in place.
The lack of a set end date has left Pakistani agents fielding questions they cannot answer, including whether cases will move quickly once vetting reviews are completed or face additional documentary demands.
Pakistani consulates in the United States plan assistance for affected individuals, according to the information circulated with the announcement, though the materials did not describe what form that assistance would take.
Until vetting reviews conclude and follow-up notifications are issued, agents said they expect many would-be immigrants to keep attending appointments, submitting paperwork and maintaining contact details with consulates.
The pause’s design also creates a split outcome among families: dual nationals holding a passport from a non-affected country are exempt, while relatives traveling only on Pakistani passports remain subject to the halt in immigrant visa issuance.
Agents said that split could affect family reunification decisions, especially where spouses or children hold different passports and need to coordinate timing around school calendars and caregiving responsibilities.
Pakistani Immigration Agents Voice Concern Over Expanded US Visa Ban
The U.S. has suspended immigrant visa issuance for 75 countries, including Pakistan, to implement stricter vetting against welfare reliance. Effective late January 2026, the pause impacts family and employment-based green cards but spares nonimmigrant visas. With no set end date, the policy creates significant uncertainty for applicants, potentially disrupting family reunification and impacting economies dependent on overseas remittances while the State Department reevaluates protocols.
