Starting on January 21, 2026, the U.S. Department of State announced that it is halting immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries. This new policy will have a significant impact on thousands of peoples’ settlement and life plans for at least the next three years.
USA IMMIGRANT VISA BAN FOR NATIONALS OF 75 COUNTRIES
In Canada, there are no country-based restrictions on permanent or temporary residence applications. Each application is assessed on its own merit, regardless of country of origin.
There are several very appealing immigration programs for foreigners who do not already live in Canada or have a formal job offer in Canada. Most notably, the Federal Skilled Worker Program for French and English speaking candidates and some Provincial Nominee Programs (“PNPs”), for the provinces of Ontario, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia still allow applications for candidates without a job offer or prior/current work experience in those provinces.
In addition, family sponsorship remains available for nationals of all countries. Given the above changes, if one has a spouse in the USA who is also a citizen or permanent resident of Canada, it will be simpler to undertake a sponsorship application based on the sponsor’s Canadian citizenship. Canadian citizens do not need to be living in Canada to sponsor their spouse, but must clearly demonstrate that they will both settle in Canada once the sponsored spouse is granted permanent residence.
These recent restrictions in the USA have made Canada a much more realistic and simple choice in terms of the likelihood of obtaining permanent residency for nationals of the 75 countries subject to the new policy.
Legal Notice
The content of this publication is general and does not pretend to be specific legal advice. For information on the application of Canadian immigration laws in your case, we invite you to schedule a personalized consultation.
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