The Epstein Group

U.S. Travel Restrictions

A new U.S. government report issued by Congressional Research Service (CRS – IN12631) outlines expanded travel restrictions that were scheduled to take effect January 1, 2026.

Here’s what this means in practical terms 👇

🔹 Who is affected?
Nationals of 39 countries are subject to either full or partial entry suspensions.

🔹 What does “full suspension” mean?
In most cases, no immigrant or nonimmigrant visas (tourist, student, or work visas) will be issued to affected nationals, unless a very limited exception applies.

🔹 What does “partial suspension” mean?
Some visa categories may still be available, but tourist (B-1/B-2), student (F/M/J), and certain work visas may be restricted or subject to heightened scrutiny.

🔹 Who is NOT impacted by this policy?
✔️ Individuals already inside the U.S.
✔️ Individuals with a valid visa issued before January 1, 2026
✔️ Lawful permanent residents (green card holders)
✔️ Certain diplomatic and special visa holders

🔹 Does this cancel existing visas?
No. The policy primarily affects new visa issuance, not visas already granted.

🔹 Is this final?
This policy is based on a presidential proclamation and may still be subject to implementation guidance, interpretation, and possible changes.

📌 Because this policy is country-specific and visa-type-specific, each case must be reviewed individually. Media headlines do not capture how the law applies to real people.

The U.S. Department of State has announced a major change to immigrant visa processing for certain nationalities deemed to present a higher risk of public-benefits usage under current public-charge standards.

🔎 What’s happening?
Effective January 21, 2026, the Department of State has implemented a temporary pause on immigrant visa issuance for nationals of 75 countries while the government re-evaluates how the public charge doctrine should be properly applied going forward.

Notably, the list includes Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, and Nicaragua, among many others.

🔑 Key Points to Know:

• The pause is temporary and is intended to give the government time to determine new standards and procedures for evaluating public-charge factors.
• Applicants from affected countries may still apply and attend interviews, but immigrant visas will not be issued during this review period.
• This does not apply to applications filed within the United States (adjustment of status cases with USCIS). However, I expect that USCIS will implement similar public-charge screening measures soon.
• Any forthcoming USCIS changes will likely resemble the more detailed financial-vetting framework used in the prior administration — potentially similar to Form I-944 (Declaration of Self-Sufficiency) or an updated equivalent.
• Non-immigrant (temporary) visas are not impacted.
• Dual nationals may still be issued visas if they apply using a passport from a country not subject to the pause.

Why does this matter? If you are a foreign national seeking to immigrate to the United States, timing and strategy are now more critical than ever.

Contact us at The Epstein Group if you have any questions about how this impacts you and your family.