US Resumes Immigrant Visas: What Indians Should Know

Visa policies can change quickly, making it important for applicants to track the latest rules before planning their immigration journey.

The United States has resumed issuing immigrant visas to nationals of 75 countries after a federal court struck down a months-long suspension.

The US Department of State confirmed that the earlier pause ended on August 21, 2026.

The suspension began in January. It targeted applicants from countries whose nationals were considered more likely to rely on public benefits in the US.

However, a federal judge ruled that the policy exceeded the Secretary of State’s authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Consequently, applicants from the affected countries can now receive immigrant visas, provided they meet the standard requirements.

The earlier policy had stopped final visa issuance, but applicants could still submit applications and attend interviews.

Importantly, the suspension did not cancel immigrant visas that had already been issued. Certain applicants also had exemptions.

These included dual nationals holding valid passports from countries outside the affected list. Children being adopted by US citizens also received an exception under a National Interest Exception.

Meanwhile, the measure did not affect nonimmigrant visas. Therefore, tourist, student and temporary-worker visa categories remained outside this particular suspension.

India does not appear on the list of 75 countries. Therefore, Indian nationals were not affected by the January suspension on immigrant visa issuance.

However, Indians still face a separate hurdle. The US has paused immigrant visa interviews worldwide as consular officers undergo additional training on public-charge screening.

That development is separate from the 75-country issuance policy. Therefore, lifting the latter does not automatically restart immigrant visa interviews for Indians.

The State Department has not provided a confirmed date for restoring normal worldwide immigrant visa interview scheduling.

Therefore, Indian applicants should treat the two developments separately. Those awaiting interviews may still face delays despite the latest court-driven policy change.

Applicants should monitor official US visa updates before making travel arrangements or other plans linked to their immigration process.

Image Credit: Tweedle, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Image Reference: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Immigration_to_the_United_States_over_time_by_region.svg