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The administration announced a federal court ruling that overturned a policy pausing immigrant visas for 75 countries.

A United States federal court ruled that a policy pausing immigrant visa issuance for 75 countries, including Thailand, was unlawful. Judge Jeannette Vargas of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York struck down the measure, which had been in effect since January 2026. The court found that the policy conflicted with law by removing final decision-making authority from individual consular officers and imposing a predetermined refusal based solely on nationality. This ruling affects thousands of applicants, particularly Thai nationals pursuing spousal visas. The administration announced that the pause was originally based on concerns regarding public charge risks. Following the court's decision, any refusal issued on or after January 21, 2026, that relied solely on the policy is set aside, and cases are expected to be returned for individual review. Simultaneously, the administration announced a global training initiative for consular officers to improve public charge reviews. While the administration announced a broader temporary suspension of immigrant visas elsewhere, Poland and Hungary received special treatment and resumed processing. The administration announced that the instruction to prioritize these two nations came directly from the White House.

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