U.S. Suspends Immigrant Visa Issuances for 75 Countries, Including Lebanon, Starting 21 January 2026

The United States has announced the suspension of immigrant visa issuances for individuals from 75 countries, including Lebanon, with the measure described as beginning on 21 January 2026.

“The State Department is suspending the processing of immigrant visas for 75 countries, one of its spokespersons said on Wednesday”

20 Min

L’Orient-Le Jour reports that the U.S. State Department said, « Le département continuera de programmer les rendez-vous, mais aucun visa d’immigrant ne sera délivré à ces ressortissants pendant cette suspension. »

20 Min

The same article says the suspension is specifically for immigrant visa applicants, noting that « Les visas de tourisme sont des visas de non-immigrant ».

It also states that immigration visas already issued are not revoked for the time being, adding that « Les visas d'immigration déjà délivrés ne sont pas révoqués pour l'heure ».

20 Min similarly reports that the State Department is suspending the processing of immigrant visas for 75 countries, citing a spokesperson speaking on Wednesday.

The list of affected countries in L’Orient-Le Jour includes Bangladesh and Lebanon among many others, while 20 Min says the measure concerns, among others, Somalia, Russia, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Thailand, and Brazil.

L’Orient-Le Jour reports that the State Department said binationals can be exempt from the suspension if they have two nationalities, with one of them being outside the list of 75 countries.

The article says, « toute personne ayant deux nationalités, soit l'une des 75 pays concernés (cf. ci-dessous) par la suspension et une autre ne figurant pas dans cette liste, est exemptée de la suspension. »

RFI

It also describes how the State Department’s guidance addresses applications already in motion, stating that « les demandeurs de visa d’immigrant ressortissants des pays concernés peuvent déposer leur demande et se présenter à l’entretien », if they already have an appointment.

In addition, L’Orient-Le Jour says a cable sent to U.S. consular agents in November instructed them to refuse certain cases, including those where a visa was « autorisé à l’impression » but not yet printed, or where it was printed but had not left the consular section.

20 Min adds that tourists and business travelers are not affected by the decision, and it says the Trump administration has pledged to check the social media histories of all applicants.

RFI focuses on Haiti, saying that as of Thursday, January 1, Washington will suspend visa issuance to Haitian nationals, framing it as part of broader immigration measures.

The rationale for the immigrant visa suspension is described in L’Orient-Le Jour as tied to a requirement that immigrants be financially autonomous and not become a burden on Americans.

“Donald Trump’s administration is stepping up blows against immigration”

RFI

The article quotes the U.S. State Department saying, « Le président Trump a clairement indiqué que les immigrants doivent être financièrement autonomes et ne pas constituer une charge pour les Américains. »

It further says the State Department is conducting a comprehensive review to ensure that immigrants from the affected countries do not receive social assistance and do not become a burden, quoting: « afin de garantir que les immigrants originaires de ces pays à haut risque ne bénéficient pas de l'aide sociale aux États-Unis et ne deviennent pas une charge pour la société ».

L’Orient-Le Jour also points to the November cable to consular agents, which ordered refusals for applicants whose visas were authorized to print but not printed, or printed but not yet left the consular section.

RFI places the visa suspension within a wider enforcement posture, saying Donald Trump’s administration is “stepping up blows against immigration” and that ICE changes its strategy to arrest more migrants.

RFI gives a specific figure: « about 17,500 arrests in September, the latest month for which complete figures are known », and says « More than 60% of those arrested under these conditions since June had no criminal record ».

The suspension’s impact is described through direct statements from Haitian advocates and through the broader framing of immigration enforcement in RFI.

RFI says that as of Thursday, January 1, Washington will suspend visa issuance to Haitian nationals, and it quotes Farah Larrieux, president of the Haitian Association of Miramar in the United States, describing the move as « a discriminatory decision that causes panic, distress and uncertainty among Haitian migrants. »

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The same RFI report says migrants have been living in fear since Donald Trump returned to power, and it adds that even people with papers are affected, according to Farah Larrieux speaking to RFI’s Port-au-Prince correspondent, Peterson Luxama.

RFI also quotes the Washington Post’s description of ICE’s new approach, saying it “works,” and it provides the arrest figure for September.

It then notes that « More than 60% of those arrested under these conditions since June had no criminal record and were not facing any charges. »

In parallel, 20 Min reports that the Trump administration’s aim is to reduce immigration of people who are not of European origin, and it says he called Somalis 'trash' who should 'go back to where they came from'.

While the visa suspension policy sets a timetable and scope, The Times of India provides a separate account of how U.S. visa decisions are made and why applications are denied, centered on immigration lawyer Andrea Szew.

“The State Department is suspending the processing of immigrant visas for 75 countries, one of its spokespersons said on Wednesday”

20 Min

The Times of India says that as US visas are getting difficult to get even for tourism purpose, Szew explained in her YouTube video that the approval process does not work the way people think it works.

RFI

It says applicants think they were not given enough time to explain their case and they got rejected, but Szew said visa officers are trained to spot inconsistency and have to make a quick decision because they do not have time to read the intention of an application.

The article states that “Decision is already made but it's not final,” explaining that by the time the applicant reaches the interview window, the visa officer has checked the DS-160, travel history, prior visa applications, and prior visa notes.

It also says there is “no benefit of doubt,” with visa officers trained to look for patterns, consistency, credibility, logic and risk, and that if something is unclear, it does not get a benefit of doubt.

The Times of India adds that “Rambling, over-explaining hurt a case,” and that visa officers are not looking for long answers, but for short, direct and aligned answers.