Workforce News 2026Jan16

State Department Pauses Immigrant Visa Processing for 75 Countries

On January 14, the U.S. State Department announced an indefinite pause on immigrant‑visa processing for applicants from 75 countries as it reassesses screening and “public charge” standards. This move will affect some applicants for employment‑based green cards, a pathway used by some LeadingAge members to recruit nurses from abroad. The impact will vary significantly by individual visa applicant: those from countries on the list will see their cases placed on hold with no clear timeline for resumption, while applicants from unaffected countries could experience faster progress in their green card cases. Because employment‑based visa backlogs are driven largely by the limited number of available green cards—and the long queues of applicants waiting for them—removing paused applicants from the line may allow others to advance more quickly. For providers with RN hires in the queue, the impact is entirely dependent on the country of origin of those individuals. To be clear, this pause impacts immigrant visas, not nonimmigrant visas, such as tourist or temporary work visas, which allow individuals to enter the U.S. for short‑term, specific purposes. A full list of the impacted countries is included in this reporting.



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