The United States has restarted immigrant visa processing in Hungary and Poland, according to a Reuters exclusive published this week, while a broader suspension of such services continues in other countries.

Reuters' headline — "EXCLUSIVE: US resumes immigrant visa processing for Hungary, Poland as pause remains elsewhere" — frames the change as a partial and selective reversal of a wider visa policy pause. Passport File did not have access to the full Reuters report at the time of publication, and the headline summary does not specify the effective date of the resumption, the visa categories covered, or the underlying rationale.

What changed for Hungary and Poland?

• The State Department has reportedly moved to allow immigrant visa cases for Hungarian and Polish nationals to proceed again at US consulates.
• The two countries had previously been caught up in the wider pause that Reuters says continues elsewhere.
• The available reporting does not yet include a formal US government announcement, a State Department cable, or a public press release.

What is the wider pause?

Reuters used the phrase "as pause remains elsewhere," indicating that immigrant visa processing remains suspended in a number of US consulates outside Hungary and Poland. The news agency did not enumerate the affected countries in the headline summary. Past rounds of US visa pauses have been linked to technical system upgrades, local security conditions, or pandemic-era backlogs, though the underlying reason for the current suspension was not specified in the available material.

What is an immigrant visa?

US immigrant visas — distinct from nonimmigrant visas for tourism, study, or temporary work — allow foreign nationals to enter the United States for permanent residence. Processing happens at US embassies and consulates abroad, typically after a petition is approved by US Citizenship and Immigration Services and a visa number is available under the annual numerical limits set by Congress.

Who is affected?

• Hungarian and Polish applicants: reportedly able to proceed with immigrant visa interviews and issuance again, per Reuters.
• Applicants elsewhere: continue to face the existing pause until further notice.
• US petitioners: family members and employers who filed immigrant visa petitions for relatives or workers in paused countries may continue to see delays.

What should applicants do?

Anyone with a pending immigrant visa case should monitor the US Embassy Budapest and US Embassy Warsaw websites, along with the State Department's travel.state.gov portal, for confirmed appointment availability and category-specific guidance. The State Department has not, in the material reviewed by Passport File, issued a public statement reproducing the Reuters report.

What is still unknown?

• The precise date the resumption takes effect in Hungary and Poland
• The list of countries still subject to the pause
• The legal or administrative basis for the selective restart
• Any per-country quotas or numerical limits tied to the change
• Whether the change applies to all immigrant visa classes (family-based, employment-based, diversity) or only specific categories

What's next?

Reuters' exclusive is the first public disclosure of the change. Passport File will update this article with additional details — including the effective date, the full list of affected and restored posts, and any State Department confirmation — once the full Reuters story and US government documents become available.