Summary:
- The Trump administration indefinitely paused visa processing for 75 countries.
- The list includes Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal, Somalia and Russia.
- The restriction will be implemented from Jan. 21.
THE U.S. PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s administration is indefinitely suspending all visa processing for visitors from 75 countries starting Jan. 21, Fox News reported Wednesday. The news was cited in a memo from the U.S. State Department.
The list of countries includes Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal, Somalia and Russia, according to Fox News.
The memo directs consular officers to refuse visas under existing law while the department reassesses screening and vetting procedures. The reported pause comes amid the sweeping immigration crackdown pursued by the Republican president.
“Immigration from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassesses immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits," said State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggott.
The 75 affected countries also include: Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan and Laos.
Other countries are Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Yemen.
In November, Trump had vowed to "permanently pause" migration from all "Third World Countries" following a shooting near the White House by an Afghan national that killed a National Guard member, as reported by Reuters.
Following that, the administration directed U.S. visa officers to factor obesity and certain long-term health conditions—including diabetes, heart disease, cancer, depression and respiratory illnesses—into “public charge” decisions that can lead to visa denials.
