US Resumes Immigrant Visa Processing for Hungary and Poland

The United States has resumed processing immigrant visa applications for citizens of Hungary and Poland, while a broader pause in immigrant visa appointments remains in place at many US diplomatic missions around the world.

Four people familiar with the matter told Reuters that US missions in Hungary and Poland began prioritising immigrant visa processing last week.

Two of the sources said the instruction came from the White House. The reason for giving the two countries special treatment, however, remains unclear, and US officials have not publicly explained the decision.

Why Hungary and Poland?

The move comes amid strong political ties between US President Donald Trump and nationalist political figures in both countries.

Trump has previously expressed support for former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who lost Hungary's April election. In Poland, nationalist President Karol Nawrocki has faced political tensions with the country's centrist Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

The development also follows a Reuters report from May that US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau had instructed State Department officials to facilitate a US visa for a former Polish cabinet minister who had sought refuge in Hungary while facing corruption allegations.

The White House referred questions about the latest visa decision to the State Department. A State Department spokesperson did not explain why immigrant visa processing had resumed in Hungary and Poland.

Officials in Hungary and Poland also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Immigrant visa appointments remain disrupted elsewhere

The Trump administration has taken several measures aimed at restricting both illegal and legal immigration.

In January, the US State Department announced a temporary suspension of immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries. The department said the policy targeted applicants considered at higher risk of becoming dependent on public assistance in the United States.

The policy was later challenged in federal court. On August 21, US District Judge Jeannette A. Vargas ruled against the policy, describing it as unlawful.

Following the ruling, immigrant visa appointments at US missions worldwide were reportedly cancelled or rescheduled as the State Department introduced new training for consular staff.

On August 25, the State Department publicly acknowledged the global pause, saying visa appointments were being adjusted while staff received new guidance on assessing whether applicants could support themselves financially in the United States.

Bangladesh among countries affected

The January policy also affected applicants from Bangladesh and Pakistan, along with applicants from several Latin American and Balkan countries.

The disruption is significant because immigrant visas allow foreign nationals to move permanently to the United States. Many are issued to relatives of US citizens or lawful permanent residents.

The United States issued roughly 600,000 immigrant visas in 2024, according to figures cited by Reuters.

Although the government initially indicated that interviews would be temporarily rescheduled through August 31, the broader disruption could continue longer as US missions complete the required training and certification process.

Applicants in several countries have reported that appointments scheduled for September were also cancelled or moved.

What this means for Bangladeshi applicants

For Bangladeshi applicants, the latest development does not indicate that normal immigrant visa processing has resumed in Bangladesh. The special resumption reported in Hungary and Poland appears to apply specifically to those two countries, while the wider pause remains in effect elsewhere.

Applicants should therefore rely on official communication from the relevant US embassy or consular section regarding their individual appointment status.