US resumes immigrant visas for Hungary and Poland; pause stays elsewhere

The United States restarted immigrant visa processing for Hungary and Poland last week. Most other embassies and consulates still have the temporary pause.

This is a news summary, not legal advice. Your post can change its schedule without much warning.

What changed

• Hungary and Poland moved first. Al Arabiya English, citing people familiar with the matter, said immigrant visa work at US missions in those two countries resumed last week. Sources said the White House directed the priority. Officials did not explain the choice in public comments.
• The wider pause is still on. After a Manhattan judge struck down the 75-country immigrant visa freeze on 21 August 2026, the State Department told posts to cancel immigrant visa appointments while staff train on new public-charge guidance. We covered that court ruling in our 21 August update.
• Training is the stated reason. On 25 August 2026, the department said the pause lasts until officers learn the new rules for deciding whether applicants can support themselves without relying on public benefits.
• It can run for months. Reporting says each post must self-train, then get a visit from a consular officer who certifies the training. A court filing had mentioned rescheduling through 31 August, but later reporting says many appointments into September were still canceled.
• This is about immigrant visas. These are visas for people moving for permanent residence, often through family. Tourist, student, and most work visas are a different track.

What you still need

Immigrant visas still need the usual case file:

• A qualifying petition or other immigrant path that fits your case.
• Medical, police, and money documents your embassy asks for.
• A public-charge review under current guidance, case by case.
• A real interview slot and a visa stamp before you travel to take up residence.

If your post is still paused, waiting for a random open date is not a plan. Watch the embassy site.

Who this affects

• Family sponsors with relatives in Hungary or Poland who can book again sooner than most posts.
• Applicants everywhere else whose immigrant interviews were canceled after late August.
• People comparing Canada. US green-card timing still looks uneven while training rolls out.
• Anyone who mixed this up with tourist visas. Short trips and immigrant residence are not the same line.

What to do next

1. Read the Al Arabiya report and check travel.state.gov plus your embassy page for live appointment notes.
2. Open our United States country page and our earlier 75-country freeze ruling for the August court context.
3. Compare Canada vs United States if you need a backup path while US immigrant slots stay uneven.

News summary only, not legal advice. Confirm your interview status with the US embassy or consulate that covers you before you book travel.