U.S. Freezes Immigration Cases for Nationals of 19 Countries

The U.S. government has ordered immigration officials to stop processing applications from nationals of 19 specific countries. This directive comes from internal guidance seen by Reuters. The order effectively freezes all green card and visa requests filed by individuals from these nations. The move represents the administration's latest effort to restrict legal immigration. Officials must halt work on these cases until further notice. The guidance does not specify the reason for the pause or name all 19 affected countries. The policy applies even to applicants who are already in the United States. It is the most recent in a series of administrative actions aimed at tightening immigration rules.