75 Country Visa Pause 2026: Petition Live as Green Card Applicants Fight Back
A petition has launched to support immigrants affected by the 75-country visa pause, urging public advocacy as the policy threatens green card pipelines for applicants worldwide.
A grassroots petition is now live calling for support of immigrants impacted by the ongoing 75-country visa pause, which has disrupted the immigration journeys of thousands of green card and visa applicants across multiple visa categories, including employment-based pathways like EB-3. The visa pause, which restricts processing and issuance for nationals from 75 designated countries, has created significant uncertainty for applicants who have already invested years in the immigration process. Affected individuals include those with pending I-140 petitions, those awaiting consular interviews, and those mid-way through adjustment of status procedures. The petition organizers are urging members of the immigration community—both affected individuals and supporters—to add their signatures and amplify the cause. The goal is to draw congressional and administrative attention to the humanitarian and legal complications created by a blanket pause of this scale. For EB-3 applicants from affected countries, the pause compounds existing backlogs and priority date delays already detailed in recent Visa Bulletins. Advocacy efforts like this petition represent one avenue through which the immigration community can collectively respond to sweeping policy changes. Applicants are encouraged to stay informed, document their case histories, and engage with available legal resources during this period of uncertainty.
USCIS confirmed the FY2027 H-1B cap was reached July 17, 2026. A rescinded Public Charge Rule restores stricter financial scrutiny for green card applicants, with a possible $100,000 bond. F-1/J-1 'duration of status' ends September 15, 2026.
DHS will replace open-ended 'duration of status' admissions for F-1 and J-1 visa holders with fixed I-94 expiration dates starting September 15, 2026, requiring employers to track new deadlines and coordinate USCIS extension filings.
A January 2025 H-1B modernization rule now allows H-1B professionals to transfer their visa sponsorship to a startup they own or control, removing the prior barrier of founder ownership disqualifying a petition.