Key facts
- The U.S. has resumed immigrant visa processing for Hungary and Poland.
- A temporary pause on immigrant visa appointments continues for other countries.
- The directive to prioritize Hungary and Poland originated from the White House.
- The State Department had previously suspended processing in 75 countries.
- A federal judge ruled against the previous visa ban policy.
The U.S. has resumed processing immigrant visa applications for Hungary and Poland, while continuing a temporary pause for other nations, according to sources familiar with the matter. This directive reportedly came from the White House, though the specific reasons for singling out these two countries remain unclear. The move follows a broader suspension of immigrant visa processing in 75 countries, which was implemented due to concerns about applicants becoming a public charge. This policy was later struck down by a federal judge. The State Department then paused all immigrant visa interviews globally to implement a new training program for staff on assessing applicants' ability to support themselves without public benefits. While interviews were rescheduled through August 31, the overall suspension could persist for months due to the training's structure. In 2024, the U.S. issued approximately 600,000 immigrant visas.