Belmopan, January 14, 2026.
The United States Department of State today announced a pause in the processing of immigrant visa applications by nationals of seventy-five (75) countries, including Belize.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade is engaging with the Embassy of the United States of America in Belmopan to clarify the scope of the decision. The Ministry has also directed the Embassy of Belize in Washington, D.C., to do likewise with the Department of State.
Preliminary information from U.S. counterparts indicates that the pause will affect immigrant visa applications only. Immigrant visas are usually family, employment, or diversity based. Only a very small number of U.S. immigrant visa applications are processed in Belmopan. There is no information at this time to indicate that the decision would affect applications for visitor or student visas.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade will continue to liaise with the U.S. Embassy to confirm the scope of the decision and to ensure that Belizeans have access to accurate information regarding U.S. visas.
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