Retroactive Refusal: Approved Visas Revoked for 75 Nations

In a move of retroactive refusal, the US is revoking approved visas for 75 nations if they haven’t been printed. The Trump administration’s policy, effective January 21, indefinitely suspends immigrant visa processing for these countries. This measure affects applicants who had already been told their visas were approved.
The directive instructs consular officers to refuse any case where the visa foil has not been generated. This means that verbal approval at an interview is no longer a guarantee of entry. It is a harsh reversal for those who believed they had successfully navigated the system.
The list of countries is extensive, affecting thousands of approved applicants. The policy undermines trust in the visa process and creates uncertainty for all future applicants. It prioritizes the immediate reduction of immigration numbers over procedural fairness.
Exceptions are limited to dual nationals of non-listed countries and national interest cases. For the majority, the retroactive refusal is a final decision.
The countries affected are: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Myanmar, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, 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, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.