Overview:
The U.S. State Department has indefinitely suspended immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries, including Haiti, as part of a broader immigration policy shift. The move comes amid a series of U.S. actions tightening legal pathways for Haitian migrants, including the forthcoming expiration of Temporary Protected Status for thousands of Haitian nationals living in the United States.
NEW YORK—Haiti is among 75 countries now affected by a sweeping U.S. suspension of immigrant visa processing, as the State Department moves to tighten legal immigration pathways and reassess how visa applicants are allocated.
The State Department has announced over social media that it will halt immigrant visa processing indefinitely for citizens of Afghanistan, Brazil, Colombia, Haiti, Iran, Russia, Syria and many others, across Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Visa processing for these nationals is set to be paused beginning Jan. 21, though the State Department has not publicly confirmed a start date.
The suspension of immigrant visas is part of a broader tightening of U.S. immigration policy under the Trump administration, with officials citing concerns about applicants’ potential reliance on government assistance. Exceptions may apply for dual nationals with passports from countries not on the list or where travel serves a recognized U.S. national interest. Approved visas that have not yet been printed could still be refused if they are not reprocessed under the new rules.
Recent changes in U.S. policy have also significantly affected Haitian migrants already in the United States. The Department of Homeland Security moved to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians, a humanitarian designation that has shielded hundreds of thousands from deportation and allowed them to work legally following repeated crises in Haiti.
Under a federal court ruling, the TPS designation will remain in effect until at least Feb. 3, 2026, after earlier plans targeted a Sept. 2 expiration. Once TPS ends, Haitians who lack other legal immigration status may face removal unless they obtain another authorization to remain and work.
Many of the countries affected by the visa processing suspension are already subject to full or partial U.S. travel bans, which already limit the immediate reach of the new measure. In those cases, immigrant visa applicants would only have been eligible under narrow exceptions to the travel bans, making approvals rare even before the suspension. As a result, while the policy signals a broader tightening of U.S. immigration rules, its practical impact may be most sharply felt in countries not previously covered by existing restrictions.
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