How the visa halt is affecting Desi families in NJ

After the Trump administration announced a halt to visa applications from 75 countries, effective Jan. 21, many immigrants in New Jersey were left scrambling, facing indefinite delays in efforts to bring family members from abroad.

The crackdown on immigration, both legal and undocumented, has been one of the key agendas of the new government, but this policy, which affects more than one-third of all countries, was troubling news for immigrants.

“It’s much larger than other attempts by the federal government to make restrictions when it comes to immigration enforcement,” said Mahesh Rajan, a New Jersey-based immigration attorney with two decades of experience.

The pause, according to the Department of State, ensures that immigrants from “high-risk countries do not unlawfully utilize welfare in the United States or become a public charge.”

But not all are convinced by the rationale.

“I always think about the problem that we’re trying to solve and the data to support it, and it’s not clear to me [in this case], because these immigrant visas are already very heavily vetted by the government,” noted Lauren Aucoin, special counsel with a D.C.-based law firm and a former officer at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

An immigrant visa application typically takes around two years to process, but with the new vetting process, it could go up to six or eight years, according to immigration experts.

Rajan’s clients, many from countries on the 75-nation list, which includes Pakistan and Egypt, have been living and working in the United States as green card holders. They petitioned to bring their spouses over, but now fear the wait might stretch by years.

“They’re waiting, and many of whom were hoping that in early 2026, they would be able to be reunited with their family, and now they have this indefinite halt, which we don’t know exactly what the time frame is going to be,” said Rajan.

The administration has been unclear about the policy’s time frame and could keep the pause in place for weeks, months, or until the end of its entire tenure.

“This is the first of four years [of the Trump administration]. It’s only going to get harder in the next three,” said Michael Valverde, an immigration consultant and former U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services official. “The uncertainty is unbelievable right now.”

While the pause will not affect tourist visas or those who are already in the country, some visa holders are scouring possible exit options to countries with fewer visa restrictions. 

One of Valverde’s clients, who had already applied for a green card, is now preparing fresh paperwork to move to and work in southern Europe.

There might eventually be a sliver of hope for immigrants through the legal process.

“The government might be able to get away with a pause of a month or two, but later, there will be real harm, and people will challenge it and start to be successful,” Valverde said.

However, some of the lawyers dealing directly with clients both here and abroad said they believe the administration’s goal has already been realized.

“The concern that if you’re not already in this country, or aren’t a citizen, [or] miss your turn and get taken out of line, is actually a big one,” Rajan said. “The goal was to increase the fear for foreign immigrants, and so it’ll deter them from wanting to come to the United States.”

Navya Asopa is a 2025-26 reporting fellow at Central Desi and a freelance journalist based in New Jersey. Her reporting focuses on labor, immigration, and India-U.S. relations. She recently graduated from Columbia University with a master's in investigative journalism.

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