U.S. Suspending Immigrant Visa Processing for 75 Nations
The U.S. State Department is indefinitely suspending immigrant (permanent residency) visa processing from 75 countries in another expansion of the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration. This temporary suspension does not affect nonimmigrant visa processing (e.g., F, H, L, O, E, B visas).
The suspension will begin on January 21st and some of the identified countries include Afghanistan, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Haiti, Iran, Nigeria, Russia, Somalia, Syria, Thailand, and Yemen.
The suspension comes after the State Department last year directed increased scrutiny under the “public charge” provision of immigration law meant to target those who the Trump administration believes will become a strain on public resources. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement Wednesday that “Immigrant visa processing from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassess immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits.”
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