No official word from US on Visa restrictions, says Bramble

The United States of America (USA) says it will, from Wednesday January 21, 2026, place an indefinite suspension on immigrant visa processing for citizens of 75 countries, including St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).

The immigrant visa suspension will drastically reduce legal pathways for migrants seeking permanent residence in the USA, while people are being asked to be made aware that the suspension, at this point, does not affect non-immigrant visa applications.

For clarification, non-immigrant visas relate to tourist, student, business, and temporary work visas. These will continue to be processed normally. However, increased scrutiny may affect consular decisions across the board.

Immigrant visas are those issued to people planning to live permanently in the USA through family reunification, employment-based residency, or other long-term immigration categories, among them the popular “Green Card”.

The international media has reported that the USA has pointed out that immigrant visas will no longer be processed for nationals of the affected countries listed, while the department reassesses its screening procedures.

Commenting on the issue on Wednesday, January 14, 2026 Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Foreign Investment and Diaspora Affairs Fitzgerald Bramble said his ministry had not yet received official documentation on the development.

“I have been informed that media news outlets such as Fox News have been circulating a news release regarding the suspension of visa processing to citizens of 75 countries, including St Vincent and the Grenadines,” he stated.

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