USA temporarily suspends issuing of immigrant visas for citizens of more states, including Moldova; Foreign Affairs Ministry says impact of measure limited

The United States has temporarily suspended the issuance of immigrant visas for citizens of more countries, including Moldova, starting from January 21, 2026. The measure is administrative in nature, as part of a review of the criteria regarding the use of public assistance (“public charge”), and does not represent a general ban on travel or entry to the U.S.

According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE), applications for immigrant visas can still be submitted and applicants can be interviewed, but the actual issuance of visas has been temporarily suspended.

“Immigrant visas that have already been issued remain valid and are not revoked. At the same time, nonimmigrant visas—tourist, study, work, and business visas—are not affected and continue to be processed and issued as usual. Immigrant visas are official documents that allow a person to settle permanently in the United States of America. They are different from nonimmigrant visas, which are issued for temporary stays, such as tourism, studies, or work for a limited period,” the MAE said

The institution also specified that “the impact of this measure on citizens of  Moldova is limited, given that the number of immigrant visas issued annually in Chisinau has been constantly low.”

“For official and up-to-date information, citizens are encouraged to consult the website of the U.S. Embassy in Chisinau and the platform travel.state.gov,” the MAE noted.

Following the US decision, WatchDog expert Andrei Curararu emphasized that the measure did not target Moldova specifically. Instead, a general rule called “public charge” is being applied.

“The USA has not closed its borders, Moldova is not banned, and visas are not stopped. The affected visas are those for family reunification, those won in the green card lottery and some work visas that lead to permanent residence. Tourist visas (B1/B2), study and exchange visas and those who already have a visa or green card are not affected. If the visa is valid, it is not canceled,” Andrei Curararu pointed out.

The expert added that the reason invoked by the US was an internal analysis of how many recent immigrants had ended up living on social assistance.

“The decision does not target Moldova in particular. The list includes many countries wealthier than Moldova: Uruguay, the Bahamas, Barbados, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. So, it is not a list of ‘poor countries’,” Andrei Curararu stated.

As for the number of citizens hit by the new measure, the expert said that it is relatively small.

“A recent public report shows that, in May 2025, 23 family-based immigrant visas were issued in Chisinau. This indicates that, in a year, we are talking about dozens or a few hundred people—our fellow citizens who need to be protected. Thus, for the persons concerned, the files may be put on hold, while for everyone else, nothing changes,” Andrei Curararu added.

The United States on January 14 announced a freeze of all visa procedures for 75 countries. President Donald Trump stressed that “immigrants must be financially independent and not become a financial burden on Americans.”

In this context, the Department of State is conducting a comprehensive review of all policies, regulations and guidelines, in order to ensure that immigrants do not use social assistance in the United States.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that the measure targeted applications from citizens of such countries as Somalia, Russia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand, and Yemen. The list also includes Moldova and other European countries, such as Albania, Bosnia, North Macedonia and Montenegro.

Applicants for immigrant visas who are citizens of the affected countries can still submit visa applications and the Department will continue to schedule them for interviews; however, no immigrant visas will be issued to these citizens during the suspension. At the same time, people with dual citizenship who apply using a valid passport from a country not included on the list are exempt from this suspension.

The Department of State on January 12 announced that it had revoked more than 100,000 visas since Donald Trump’s return to the White House, a record number within a single year.