India Exempted from US’ Immigrant Visa Processing Suspension for 75 Countries from January 21

Temporary Visa Freeze Targets Green Cards, Fiancé and Select Work Visas

The United States administration has announced a temporary suspension of immigrant visa processing for citizens of 75 countries, effective January 21, 2026. The decision covers immigrant visa categories such as green cards, fiancé visas and select employment-based visas. Indian nationals are not included in the list of affected countries.

According to the US State Department, the suspension has been introduced to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who may rely on public welfare and government-funded benefits. The pause applies only to immigrant visas and does not affect non-immigrant categories such as tourist visas or short-term business visas.

In a statement shared on the social media platform X, the State Department said, “The State Department will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates. The freeze will remain active until the US can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people.”

Countries impacted by the suspension include Afghanistan, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Iran and Russia, among others. Applicants from India will continue to be eligible for US visa processing under existing immigration rules.

The State Department also stated that more than 100,000 visas have been revoked since Donald Trump returned to office. Separately, the Department of Homeland Security reported that over 605,000 individuals have been deported, while an additional 2.5 million people departed the country voluntarily.