Trump's visa ban on 75 countries may free up 50,000 green cards for others

The pause on immigrant visas for 75 countries, which began on January 21, may lead to an increase of about 50,000 employment-based Green Card quotas in 2027 if family-based Green Cards remain unused. Immigration experts tolf TOI that this spillover could benefit employment-based applicants, similar to what happened during the Covid period, when priority dates moved forward by four to five years.

The pause affects only immigrant visas, which are for people seeking permanent residence in the US. It does not affect non-immigrant visas such as H-1B work visas, student visas, or travel visas. While the pause has created uncertainty for families, experts say the possible spillover is the only positive outcome for employment-based Green Card applicants.

Immigration attorney Emily Neumann said she analysed data from all 75 countries on the list to estimate how many family-based Green Card quotas may go unused. She said around 67,000 immigrant visas would have been allotted to these countries in the current fiscal year if the pause had not been announced. Since the pause started after the first quarter of the fiscal year that began on October 1, about 50,000 Green Cards could spill over to employment-based categories if the pause continues through the fiscal year ending in September 2026.


Citing 2024 data, Neumann said Pakistan had the highest family-based Green Card quota among the listed countries, at about 15,000. Bangladesh followed with around 8,000 family-based Green Card quotas. Both countries are part of the immigrant visa pause.

The Trump administration announced that it would not process immigrant visa requests from 75 countries for now. The administration said it would review how much welfare benefits nationals from these countries are using before deciding on further steps.

The list includes Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, The Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, North Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.

The pause applies only to immigrant visas for permanent settlement in the US. Non-immigrant visas for work, study, or travel from these countries continue to be processed.