The U.S. State Department will stop issuing immigrant visas for 75 countries for an undetermined time beginning Jan. 21.
The suspension applies to U.S. immigrant visas for foreigners seeking to live in the U.S., but it does not impact short-term visa applications for students or tourists, including soccer fans wishing to travel to the U.S. for the FIFA World Cup 2026, according to the department.
Local immigration attorney Haim Vasquez represents people across the state of Texas seeking immigrant and non-immigrant visas and spoke with NBC 5 about the impact on those seeking to live in the U.S. and those only wanting to visit.
“We are talking about people who have been ‘in the line,’” said Vasquez about the 75 countries impacted by the suspension. “This is only for the people who are outside the United States who are applying to get that Green Card granted at the consulate and who might have been waiting for over a decade in many cases to obtain the Green Cards. This does not have anything to do with immigration issues at the border or people who don’t have immigration status inside the U.S.”
People living in the following countries are impacted by the suspension of immigrant visa applications: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, 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.
According to the State Department, “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 U.S. can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people. The pause impacts dozens of countries – including Somalia, Haiti, Iran, and Eritrea – whose immigrants often become public charges on the United States upon arrival. We are working to ensure the generosity of the American people will no longer be abused.”
Vasquez questions what data the government used to compile and justify the countries on the list.
“When somebody’s a resident, they have to have a financial sponsor, and even if they were going to use public benefits that they do not qualify, the government can go after that sponsor,” he said.
The crackdown on legal immigration comes as the State Department shared another cordial invitation to the world on Sunday.
“America is excited to welcome the world for the 2026 World Cup,” said Andrew Giuliani in a video posted on the agency’s X account.
Giuliani toured AT&T Stadium last month ahead of the World Cup tournament.
When asked about restrictions on immigration from certain countries, Giuliani said, “There’s no effect on B1, B2 Visas, which is what the fans will be coming here on. If anything, actually, we’ll probably reduce some of the wait times for them.”
Dallas Stadium, aka AT&T Stadium, will host nine matches, including the reigning champion Argentina.
Giuliani said World Cup ticket holders in general will have their travel visa applications prioritized.
Visa wait times for Argentinians and Brazilians, for example, are being significantly reduced from one year to two months or less, he said.
Appointments under the FIFA Priority Appointment Scheduling System (PASS) will become available for ticket holders in early 2026.
Visitors from the 42 Countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program can apply using the Electronic System for Travel Authorization or ESTA, including teams heading to North Texas: Croatia, the Netherlands, Japan, the U.S and Austria. However, this does not apply to fans from Argentina or Jordan.
Fans visiting from all other countries must have a U.S. visitor Visa B1/B2.
It’s also worth noting that soccer fans who live in the 75 countries on the immigrant-visa suspension list can still apply to visit the U.S. for the World Cup.
“Now, tourist visas are not granted freely,” cautioned Vasquez. “They will have to be evaluated, and the government will determine whether or not the person has the intent to come back to their country in the process of granting that permit.”
