US Immigrant Visa Pause Lifted for 75 Nationalities: What UAE Residents Should Know

On 28 August 2026 the US Department of State updated its official guidance to confirm that the January pause on immigrant visa issuance for nationals of 75 countries is no longer in effect. The change took effect on 21 August 2026 under a federal court order in CLINIC et al. v. Rubio. For families in the UAE who have been waiting on green card cases since January, this is the most significant US visa development of the year. Here is what changed, who it affects, and what to do next.

What actually changed

On 21 January 2026 the State Department paused the issuance of all immigrant visas, the category that leads to a US green card, for nationals of 75 countries. The stated reason was a review of screening and vetting policies for applicants considered at high risk of relying on US public benefits. Applicants could still submit applications and attend interviews during the pause, but consulates were not allowed to issue the visa at the end of the process, which left many approved cases in limbo.

That pause has now ended. According to the official State Department notice, updated 28 August 2026, the pause is no longer in effect as of 21 August 2026 in accordance with the court order. Consulates can once again issue immigrant visas to nationals of the affected countries.

Which passports were on the list

The pause covered 75 nationalities, including many of the largest expat communities in the UAE. Among others, it named nationals of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Sudan, Nepal, Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Russia, Uzbekistan and Kuwait. The full list is on the State Department notice linked above.

Just as important is who was never on it. India, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Indonesia were not part of the pause, so immigrant visa cases for those nationalities were processed normally throughout.

What this means if you live in the UAE

Under separate guidance issued in July 2026, the State Department now generally expects applicants to be interviewed in their country of residence, which for UAE residents means the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi. If you are a national of one of the 75 listed countries and hold UAE residence, your family based or employment based immigrant visa case can move again.

Three practical points follow from that. First, cases that were interviewed but held during the pause can now be issued, so watch your case status closely. Second, expect congestion: seven months of held cases are re-entering the pipeline at the same time. Third, supporting items in your file have expiry dates. Medical examinations, police certificates and some civil documents are only valid for a limited period, and if yours lapsed during the pause you may be asked to redo them before the visa is printed.

What has not changed

The end of the pause does not mean US visa policy has relaxed. Screening and vetting remain strict, and several 2026 measures still apply. The 250 dollar visa integrity fee remains in place, the visa bond program for certain B1/B2 applicants is now permanent, and interview waiver eligibility for renewals remains narrow. Public charge scrutiny of immigrant visa applicants continues, and the State Department separately introduced public charge bonds for some immigrant visa cases in August.

Visit visas were never affected by this pause. If you are simply planning a holiday or business trip, the process described in our guide on applying for a US visa from the UAE is unchanged, and refusals still happen for the usual reasons explained in our posts on Section 214(b) and 221(g) administrative processing. If you are unsure whether you need a visa at all, see ESTA versus the B1/B2 visa.

What you should do now

If you have a pending immigrant visa case, log in to the CEAC portal and check the current status. If your case was documentarily complete before January, confirm that your medical exam and police certificates are still valid, and gather updated financial evidence in case the consulate requests it. If you received correspondence during the pause, respond to it now rather than waiting for the embassy to chase you. Our free document checklist generator can help you organise the paperwork, and the approval chance calculator gives an honest read on visit visa cases.

If your travel plans are short term rather than permanent, this week we also published guides on why UK visit visas get refused for UAE residents and Schengen visas for non working spouses in Dubai.

How Visa Doctor helps

Visa Doctor is a licensed documentation company in Dubai. We are not a law firm and we do not issue visas, but we make sure applications leave nothing to chance. For US bound clients we prepare complete B1/B2 visit visa files, organise civil and financial documents ahead of consular interviews, and give you a realistic assessment before you spend money on fees. If your situation involves a refusal, a bond requirement or an expired document trail after the pause, we will tell you exactly what to fix and in what order.

Frequently asked questions

Last reviewed August 2026. Visa rules, fees and processing times change frequently. Always confirm current requirements on the official government or consulate website before booking travel. Visa Doctor is a licensed private service provider (SPC Free Zone 4417571.01) and is not a government authority; we do not issue visas.