US visa interviews will continue despite freeze

The State Department has explained that applicants from Pakistan and 74 other countries will be allowed to submit applications for the immigrant visa issuance and attend scheduled interviews during the suspension announced a day earlier.

The US announced a pause on the issuance of immigrant visas for 75 nations, including Pakistan, as part of a broader policy review ordered by President Donald Trump. The State Department stated on Wednesday that the pause will take effect from January 21, 2026.

"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," it said in a post on X.

Clarifying the scope of the decision in a Q&A guidance released alongside the new policy on its website, the State Department said applicants may continue with the visa process, including attending interviews at US embassies and consulates in their respective countries, but no immigrant visas will be issued while the pause remains in force.

The department stressed that the move does not revoke any immigrant visas already issued, nor does it affect tourist or other non-immigrant visas. Matters related to admission into the United States, it added, fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Homeland Security.

Pakistan is among a wide-ranging list of affected countries spanning South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and eastern Europe. The list includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Sudan, Syria, Russia and Brazil.

The State Department said the measure forms part of a comprehensive review to ensure that immigrants are financially self-sufficient and do not become a public charge. President Trump, it said, has made clear that new immigrants must not place a financial burden on American taxpayers.

Under the guidance, dual nationals applying with a valid passport from a country not included in the list are exempt from the pause. The department also noted that immigrant visa cases already approved but not yet printed would be refused under the new policy.

US embassies and consulates have been instructed to continue scheduling immigrant visa appointments for affected nationals, including Pakistanis, even though issuance will remain suspended during the review period.