US to suspend visa processing for 75 countries including Pakistan, State Department says
WASHINGTON: The United States will suspend processing of immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries, including Pakistan, starting January 21, a State Department spokesperson said on Wednesday, as President Donald Trump’s administration intensifies its immigration crackdown.
The suspension will affect applicants from countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Russia, Nigeria, Somalia, Yemen, Thailand and Brazil, though it will not apply to visitor visas, the spokesperson confirmed.
According to a memo first reported by Fox News, US embassies have been directed to refuse immigrant visa applications under existing law while the State Department reassesses its immigration screening and approval procedures.
“The State Department will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates,” the department said in a post on X, adding that the freeze would remain in place until Washington could ensure new immigrants would not place an economic burden on US taxpayers.
The move marks a significant escalation in President Trump’s immigration agenda since returning to office in January. His administration has sharply tightened immigration enforcement, deploying federal agents to major US cities and triggering clashes involving migrants as well as US citizens.
The State Department said earlier this week that more than 100,000 visas have been revoked since Trump took office. The administration has also expanded social media vetting and imposed stricter screening requirements for visa applicants.
The countries affected by the US visa suspension include Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Congo, Cuba, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Yemen.
In November, President Trump had vowed to “permanently pause” migration from what he termed “Third World Countries” following a shooting near the White House by an Afghan national that resulted in the death of a National Guard member.
The decision is expected to have wide-ranging implications for families, students and skilled workers seeking permanent residency in the United States, particularly in countries with large migrant populations such as Pakistan.
