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Policy watch · After the interview

State says the 75-country visa pause is no longer in effect

The Department of State’s August 28, 2026 notice says the January pause is no longer in effect as of August 21, 2026. Check for updates; this does not decide another policy’s effect or predict visa issuance.

For: Readers checking the current status of the Department of State's former 75-country immigrant visa issuance pause.

Related context only: K-1 (Form I-129F), K-2 (child of a K-1 applicant).

Written from official U.S. government sources. Last reviewed September 2026. Sources and limits.

Where this stands

Reviewed · 1 of 1 court and official source recorded as checked · See verification

  • Still publishedThe Department says the former pause is no longer in effect. Read the Department of State notice, updated August 28, 2026: it says the pause is no longer in effect as of August 21, 2026.
  • Still publishedIt concerns immigrant visa issuance to nationals of 75 countries. The Department identifies this as the January 2026 pause.
  • Still publishedThe notice is dated August 28, 2026. It describes the former pause's status; it does not predict an individual visa decision or timing.

This guide reports the Department's update only; it does not resolve an individual case.

What the Department currently says

Origin: official source. Official sourceStated by a US government publisher on the page we cite.Sources

In its August 28, 2026 update, the Department of State says the January 2026 pause of immigrant visa issuance to nationals of the listed countries is no longer in effect as of August 21, 2026. Read the Department of State notice for the Department's full wording and any later change.

What this update does not tell you

Origin: Togetherward explanation. Togetherward explanationOur reading of the official sources, not something an agency says.

  • It does not determine whether a different current policy, exception, or case-specific instruction applies.
  • It does not say when a particular case will move or whether a visa will be issued.
  • The country list retained on the notice describes the countries named in the earlier pause; it is not a case-specific decision.

Where to check your case

Origin: suggested action. Suggested actionA way to organise your own case. Optional, and required by nobody.

  • Read the Department of State notice directly for later Department updates.
  • Use direct communication from the embassy or consulate handling your case for appointment instructions.
  • For a question about a particular notice, refusal, or deadline, speak with a qualified immigration attorney.

Keep the information together

Origin: suggested action. Suggested actionA way to organise your own case. Optional, and required by nobody.

Save the official notice and direct embassy or consulate messages with their dates. Assign an owner to each follow-up.

What would change this

The Department of State updated its notice on August 28, 2026. The notice says the January 2026 pause of immigrant visa issuance to nationals of the listed countries is no longer in effect as of August 21, 2026. This reports the agency's published update; it does not decide another policy's effect or predict an individual visa decision.

  • Check the Department of State notice for a later update.
  • Follow direct communication from the embassy or consulate handling your case.

Situations like this can change between checks — the official sources are the record, not this page.

Common questions

Showing all 7 questions.

Current status

Is the 75-country immigrant visa pause still in effect?
The Department of State's notice, updated August 28, 2026, says the January 2026 pause is no longer in effect as of August 21, 2026. Read the linked notice for its current wording.
What changed in the August 28 notice?
The Department says the January 2026 pause is no longer in effect as of August 21. The linked notice contains its full wording.
Does that mean a visa will be issued?
No. The notice reports the status of the former pause. It does not predict an individual visa decision or timing.

Scope

Does the country list determine what happens in my case?
No. The retained list is historical context for the earlier pause. It does not determine whether another policy or case-specific instruction applies.
Does this update tell me whether another policy applies?
No. The notice addresses the earlier pause only. It does not determine whether a different policy or a case-specific instruction affects your case.

Next steps

Where should I check for an appointment update?
Read direct communication from the embassy or consulate handling the case, and check the Department of State notice for any later public update.
What information should we keep together?
You and your partner can save the Department notice and any direct message from your embassy or consulate with the date received, then assign an owner for follow-up.

How Togetherward helps

Suggestion

Togetherward can help both partners keep the official notice, a message from the embassy or consulate, and any follow-up in one shared case record.

In Togetherward

Sign in to your case to continue where this leaves off.

Sign in to continue

This guide reports a Department of State notice. It is not legal advice, does not determine how another policy applies to a particular case, and does not predict visa issuance or timing.

Sources and limits

Last reviewed and verification status

Last reviewed
Last recorded source review: . We aim to re-read it every 7 days.
Periodic review due.
Source-check status
Sources last checked for changes on . The last recorded source check was 22 days ago, past this page's day watch, so we cannot show it as currently watched. The manual source-check goal is every day. This page reports a fast-changing Department of State notice and has a one-day source-check goal. Togetherward Team last compared the guide with the current notice on September 27, 2026; a later notice change requires another source review. A detected change flags this page for immediate re-review; a check is not a review, and it never moves the last-reviewed date above.
Source check overdue — the sources have not been watched inside the window.
Verification status of the sources behind this page
1 of 1 source is recorded as checked. Nothing is awaiting verification.

Verified (1)

About this guide and its review

Guide scope

  • After the interview
  • NVC and sponsorship
  • Medical and interview preparation
  • CR-1 / IR-1 (Form I-130)
  • F2A (spouse of a permanent resident)

Related context, not directly covered: K-1 (Form I-129F), K-2 (child of a K-1 applicant).

Who this is for
Readers checking the current status of the Department of State's former 75-country immigrant visa issuance pause.
Stage it covers
Immigrant visa processing, including cases that were previously covered by the January 2026 notice.
What it helps you do
Read the Department's current public update and understand what it does not establish about an individual case.
What this page cannot tell you
  • Whether another current policy or a case-specific instruction applies to you.
  • Whether or when a visa will be issued.
  • What action to take in response to a particular notice or refusal.

How we put this page together

Togetherward analysis

This page reports the Department of State notice only. The status copy was compared with the current official page on September 27, 2026. This narrow source review does not interpret the court order, another policy, or an individual case.

What we did not include

  • Court filings, court orders, news reports, and statements not published on the cited Department page.
  • Predictions about an individual case, visa issuance, or processing time.
  • Other policies, exceptions, or local instructions.

Review record

Author
The Togetherward editorial team. The people who build Togetherward. We are not attorneys and we do not give legal advice.
Review
Reviewed by Togetherward Team
Scope of review
Read the full review scope

The source review on 2026-09-27 compared the guide's status statement with the Department of State notice, last updated August 28, 2026. It confirms only that the guide accurately reports the Department's published statement that the January 2026 pause is no longer in effect as of August 21, 2026. This review does not assess legal accuracy beyond that exact source-matched statement, interpret the court order, determine another policy's effect, apply law to an individual's facts, predict an individual visa decision, or provide legal advice. For case-specific guidance, consult a qualified immigration attorney. No attorney review, separate human second-reader review, or individual-case assessment is claimed.

Dates
Last reviewed · Published .
Review status: Periodic review due.
How this guide was prepared
How we review guides.
What the labels in this guide mean
  • Official factStated by a U.S. government publisher on the source page we cite.
  • Togetherward analysisOur reading of the official sources, not something an agency says.
  • SuggestionA way to organise your own case. Optional, and not a requirement.
Limitations
  • This is an explanation of a published government process, not legal advice, and not a prediction about your case.
  • Figures that move — processing ranges, Visa Bulletin dates, fees, form editions, interview availability — are described rather than reproduced here, so you read the current number at the source.
  • USCIS, the National Visa Center, the embassy, or the consular officer may ask for something this page does not mention.
  • The Department notice reports the status of the former pause; it does not determine whether another policy or a case-specific instruction applies.
  • The notice does not predict whether or when a particular visa will be issued.
Commercial independence
Commercial independence: nobody pays to appear on this page. There are no sponsors, no advertising, no referral fees, no affiliate links, and no paid placement of any attorney, agency, or service. Togetherward makes money from couples who use the product, and a commercial relationship cannot change what this page says, when it was last reviewed, whether it is flagged as out of date, or whether it stays in search results.
Corrections
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