The news of the January 21, 2026, immigrant visa suspension has sent shockwaves through the expat and immigrant communities. If you are a petitioner with a spouse or fiancé in one of the 75 affected countries—spanning from Thailand and Pakistan to Jamaica and Brazil—you might feel like your path to a life together has been walled off.

But there is a detail in the State Department’s internal memo that many are overlooking. The suspension specifically targets Immigrant Visas (like the CR-1 or IR-1). It does not, as of now, officially suspend Non-Immigrant Visas.

This distinction is where your strategy needs to change.

The Official List: 75 Suspended Countries

The following nations have been identified by the State Department as “high-risk” for public benefits usage, leading to the indefinite pause in immigrant visa adjudications.

Asia & The Middle East

Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Syria, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Yemen.

Latin America & The Caribbean

Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Uruguay.

Africa

Algeria, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo.

Europe & The Balkans

Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia (North Macedonia), Moldova, Montenegro, Russia.

Oceania

Fiji, Tonga.

The K-3 Strategy for Married Couples

If you are already married and were planning on a standard CR-1 spousal visa, you are now facing an indefinite pause in countries like Colombia, Thailand, and nearly the entire Caribbean. However, the K-3 Spouse Visa is technically classified as a non-immigrant visa.

Historically, K-3s were rarely used because the CR-1 was more efficient. In this new landscape, the K-3 has suddenly become a vital workaround. Because it is a non-immigrant filing, it may bypass the “immigrant visa unit” freeze, allowing your spouse to enter the U.S. and adjust their status once they are safely on American soil. It is a more complex filing, but in a world where immigrant visas are suspended, it is one of the few doors left unlocked.

The K-1 Path remains Open

For those who are not yet married, the K-1 Fiancé Visa remains a viable option. While these cases will face “public charge” hurdles and significant procedural delays due to embassy staffing, they are not part of the 75-country suspension.

If you were waiting to get married abroad before starting your paperwork, you may want to reconsider. Starting a K-1 petition now keeps you in the “non-immigrant” lane, avoiding the total freeze that is currently hitting the spousal green card path.

Affected Regions at a Glance

The suspension is wide-reaching, focusing on nations the administration deems a “public charge” risk. This includes:

• Asia: Massive portions of Southeast and South Asia, including Thailand, Pakistan, and Cambodia.
• The Caribbean: Almost the entire region, including Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba, and the Bahamas.
• Latin America: Major hubs like Brazil, Colombia, and Guatemala.

Don’t Wait for the Backlog to Grow

When these “pauses” happen, the backlog doesn’t just grow—it explodes. The couples who pivot their strategy today are the ones who will be reunited while everyone else is left waiting for a “reassessment” that may never end.

At Busybodyvisa, we are already moving our clients from the “Immigrant” track to “Non-Immigrant” workarounds where possible. We understand the internal mechanics of the Bureau of Consular Affairs, and we know how to position your case so it doesn’t get stuck behind a closed window.

If your partner is in one of the 75 suspended countries, you don’t have time to wait and see. You need to act before the government closes the K-visa loophole too.

Book a consultation with my to see if this will work for you