US Resumes Immigrant Visa Processing for Hungary and Poland – Global Pause Continues
Updated: 4 hours ago
WASHINGTON, September 9, 2026 — The Trump administration has resumed processing immigrant visa applications for citizens of Hungary and Poland, while maintaining a broader pause on such appointments for the rest of the world.
The directive to prioritize immigrant visa processing at U.S. missions in these two European countries came directly from the White House. The decision has raised questions, as the State Department has not provided a public explanation for why these two nations were singled out.
Why Hungary and Poland Were Exempted
While the administration has offered no official justification, the decision comes against the backdrop of President Trump's close political ties with nationalist leaders and movements in both countries.
Hungary: Trump has publicly supported former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who was defeated in the country's April election.
Poland: The President has also endorsed Poland's nationalist President Karol Nawrocki, whose election has placed him at odds with the centrist government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
This special treatment follows a Reuters report from May 2026 that U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau instructed senior State Department officials to facilitate a U.S. visa for a fugitive former Polish cabinet minister who had taken refuge from corruption charges in Hungary.
The Global Context: A Broader Visa Pause
The resumption in Hungary and Poland stands in stark contrast to the situation elsewhere. The U.S. has been aggressively curbing both illegal and legal migration, imposing travel bans on dozens of countries, introducing expensive new fees for work visas, and mandating social media vetting for all applicants.
Timeline of the Pause
Date | Event |
January 2026 | State Department suspends immigrant visa processing in 75 countries, citing high risk of applicants becoming a "public charge" |
August 21, 2026 | U.S. District Judge Jeannette A. Vargas strikes down the policy as "patently unlawful" |
August 25, 2026 | State Department implements a global pause on immigrant visa interviews for new training |
Late August 2026 | Processing resumes only in Hungary and Poland |
The training program, designed to help consular officers assess whether applicants can support themselves without relying on public benefits, could keep the suspension in place for months. The U.S. government had previously told a court that interviews would be rescheduled only through August 31.
Impact on Applicants Worldwide
The uncertainty extends well beyond Europe. People from countries including India, Peru, and the United Kingdom have reported online that their immigrant visa appointments have been cancelled through September.
In 2024, the U.S. issued approximately 600,000 immigrant visas, most of them to relatives of U.S. citizens or permanent residents. The current pause affects a wide range of applicants from Latin American countries (including Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay), Balkan nations (such as Bosnia and Albania), and South Asian countries (Pakistan and Bangladesh).
Read Also
Official Resources
Resource | Link |
U.S. State Department – Visa Information | |
USCIS – Immigrant Visas |
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