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    IMMIGRATION                                                        FEBRUARY 06, 2026       |  The Indian Eye 40

                       DOS Announces Temporary Pause

                      on Certain Visas for Nationals of 75

               Countries Based on Unfounded Concerns

                      That They Will Seek Public Benefits

            CYRUS MEHTA                how immigrant visa appli-                                                         mind” that the adminis-
                                       cants are evaluated under                                                         tration would ban immi-
                    n January 14, 2026,   the “public charge” rules.                                                     grant visas for nearly half
                    the Department     In announcing this re-                                                            the world based on “mere
            Oof State (DOS)            view, the government has                                                          speculation” that those
            announced a temporary      indicated it wants stricter                                                       immigrants would come to
            pause on the issuance of   standards to prevent new                                                          rely on public benefits.
            immigrant visas (green     immigrants from receiving
            cards from overseas) for   any public support.                                                               “Most new immigrants
            nationals  of  75  countries,   This policy applies
            effective January 21, 2026.   only to immigrant visas                                                        are not even eligible for
            DOS said this pause is for   (green card processing                                                          benefits, and their ad-
            the government to review   through a U.S. embassy or   consulate) for applicants  zakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait,   mission  as  immigrants
                                                                      who are:                Kyrgyz Republic,  Laos,
                                                                          Nationals of one  Lebanon, Liberia, Libya,     is conditioned by legal-
                                                                      of  the  75  countries  Moldova, Mongolia, Mon-    ly binding affidavits of
                                                                      identified  by  DOS,  tenegro, Morocco, Nepal,     support from their spon-
                                                                      and                     Nicaragua, Nigeria, North
                                                                          Applying for an  Macedonia,         Pakistan,  sors  who  have  met  the
                                                                      immigrant visa abroad   Republic of the Congo,     income requirements,”
                                                                      (not adjustment of  Russia, Rwanda, Saint          Mehta said.
                                                                      status in the United  Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lu-
                                                                      States).                cia, Saint Vincent and the     It is also hard to imag-
                                                                          The affected coun-  Grenadines, Senegal, Sier-  ine that immigrants from
                                                                      tries include Afghani-  ra Leone, Somalia, South   Kuwait, Kazakhstan or
                                                                      stan, Albania, Algeria,  Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tan-  Uruguay will be lining up
                                                                      Antigua and Barbuda,  zania, Thailand, Togo, Tu-   for benefits when they im-
                                                                      Armenia, Azerbaijan,  nisia, Uganda, Uruguay,      migrate to the US. Those
                                                                      Bahamas,      Bangla-   Uzbekistan, and Yemen.     immigrating through a rel-
                                                                      desh, Barbados, Be-        Applicants from these   ative who is a US citizen or
                                                                      larus, Belize, Bhutan,  countries may attend their   permanent resident must
                                                                      Bosnia and Herze-       visa interviews, but their   also be sponsored through
                                                                      govina, Brazil, Burma,  immigrant visas will not be   an  affidavit  of  support
                         m of                                         Cambodia,     Camer-    issued for the time being,   where the sponsor must
              CYRUS D. MEHTA & PARTNERS PLLC                          oon, Cape Verde, Co-    unless a limited exception   be able to demonstrate an
                                                                      lombia, Côte d’Ivoire,  applies. A dual national
                                                                                                 Cuba,  Democratic  applying with a valid pass-  income that is 125% over

                                                   the poverty line based on
                                                                      Republic of the Con-    port of a country that is

                                go, Dominica, Egypt,  not listed above is exempt   the size of the family being

                                                                sponsored.

                                                                       Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji,  from this pause. No immi-  Those  immigrating
                                                                      The Gambia, Geor-       grant visas have been re-  through      employment
                                                                      gia, Ghana, Grenada,  voked as part of this guid-  based  on  a  labor  certifi-
                                                                      Guatemala, Guinea,  ance.                          cation must be promised
              2              6th Floor                                Haiti,  Iran,  Iraq,  Ja-  Cyrus    Mehta    told

                                                                       a  salary  that  is  equal  to
                                                                      maica, Jordan, Ka-      Law360  “it  boggles  the

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