On Wednesday, the U.S. State Department announced a significant policy change that will impact immigrant visa issuance for citizens of 75 countries. This decision stems from concerns regarding potential reliance on public assistance by immigrants from these nations. The government made this announcement via a post on X, highlighting that immigrants from the identified countries are perceived to take welfare from American taxpayers at "unacceptable rates."
The comprehensive list of countries affected by the visa suspension includes both U.S. allies and adversaries, along with several popular destinations for American travelers. The countries are categorized by region and are as follows:
The Americas: Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Barbados Belize Brazil Colombia Cuba Dominica Grenada Guatemala Haiti Jamaica Nicaragua St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent and the Grenadines Uruguay Europe: Albania Belarus Bosnia and Herzegovina Kosovo Moldova Montenegro North Macedonia Asia-Pacific: Afghanistan Armenia Azerbaijan Bangladesh Bhutan Cambodia Fiji Georgia Iran Iraq Jordan Kazakhstan Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Lebanon Mongolia Myanmar Nepal Pakistan Russia Syria Thailand Uzbekistan Yemen Africa: Algeria Cameroon Cape Verde Côte d'Ivoire Democratic Republic of the Congo Egypt Eritrea Ethiopia Ghana Guinea Liberia Libya Morocco Nigeria Republic of the Congo Rwanda Senegal Sierra Leone Somalia South Sudan Sudan Tanzania The Gambia Togo Tunisia UgandaThe suspension of immigrant visas is scheduled to begin on January 21. Notably, this pause will not affect tourist visa applications. The U.S. State Department has stated that the suspension will remain in effect until they can guarantee that new immigrants will not place a financial burden on the American public.
According to the State Department's official website, a thorough review of all immigration policies, regulations, and guidance is underway to ensure that immigrants from these high-risk countries do not become a public charge or rely on welfare in the United States.
While this new policy does not impact current immigrant visas, the U.S. government has previously indicated that it is reevaluating immigration visas that were granted during the Biden Administration. Joseph Edlow, the director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, stated in a post on X in November that he has been directed to conduct a comprehensive review of every Green Card issued to individuals from the identified countries, following directives from President Donald Trump.