U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is suspending processing for immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries, a State Department spokesperson said on Wednesday, as part of Washington's intensifying immigration crackdown.
A U.S. official said the pause will take effect on 21 January and will apply to immigrant visas, including those for employment and family reunification. Non-immigrant visas, such as tourist and student visas, are not affected.
The suspension covers countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Middle East, including Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Haiti, Somalia and Russia. It also includes Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and many others.
"The State Department will use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the United States and exploit the generosity of the American people," said Tommy Pigott, Principal Deputy Spokesperson at the State Department.
The State Department said the decision follows a reassessment of immigration procedures under the “public charge” provision of U.S. law, which allows authorities to deny visas to applicants deemed likely to rely on public assistance.
"Immigrant visa processing 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," Pigott added.
The move, which was first reported by Fox News, does not impact U.S. visitor visas, which have been in the spotlight given the United States is hosting the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics.
The decision follows a November directive to U.S. diplomats asking them to ensure that visa applicants are financially self-sufficient and do not risk becoming dependent on government subsidies during their stay in the U.S., according to a State Department cable seen by Reuters at the time.
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.
Several of the affected countries were already included in the administration’s expanded travel ban list.
The Department of Homeland Security said last month that more than 605,000 people had been deported under the Trump administration, while another 2.5 million left the country voluntarily.
The move marks the latest step in Trump’s hardline immigration agenda and is expected to face criticism from human rights groups and immigrant advocacy organisations.
A landmark gathering of commercial and political minds has convened in the Kyrgyz capital, signalling a significant shift in Washington’s foreign po...
Israeli tank shelling and airstrikes killed at least 18 people, including four children, in Gaza on Wednesday, Palestinian officials said, as Israel h...
The World Health Organization has added the Nipah virus to its list of the world’s top 10 priority diseases, alongside COVID-19 and the Zika virus, ...
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met in Abu Dhabi, February 4, reaffirming momentum in their peace...
Images from Iran's Paya (Tolu 3) Earth observation satellite have been officially displayed for the first time by the Ministry of Information and Comm...
Vladimir Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev is expected to travel to Miami on Saturday for meetings with members of Donald Trump’s administration, two sources familiar with the plans told Reuters.
The United States says it's handing over a tanker to Venezuela that it seized earlier this month, according to two U.S. officials, marking the first known case of President Donald Trump’s administration returning such a vessel, Reuters reported.
At least 15 people have died across the United States as a powerful winter storm moves east and a surge of Arctic air drives temperatures sharply lower across much of the country, authorities said on Monday.
The UN Human Rights Council has condemned Iran for rights abuses and ordered an expanded investigation into a crackdown on anti-government protests that killed thousands, as Tehran warned any military attack would be treated as an all-out war.
Talks with the U.S. should be pursued to secure national interests as long as "threats and unreasonable expectations" are avoided, President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on X on Tuesday (3 February).
Cuba’s Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío has denied that Havana and Washington have entered formal negotiations, countering recent assertions by U.S. President Donald Trump, while saying the island is open to dialogue under certain conditions.
Mexico said it will stop sending oil to Cuba as U.S. President Donald Trump ramped up pressure on the Caribbean nation.
Iranian media outlets have backtracked on claims President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered a return to nuclear talks with the United States, fuelling fresh uncertainty over the state of diplomacy between the two rivals.
Web Summit Qatar 2026 opened in Doha on Sunday, drawing tens of thousands of founders, investors, policymakers and technology leaders to what organisers describe as one of the region’s largest digital economy gatherings.
Thousands of documents linked to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have been taken down from the U.S. Justice Department’s (DOJ) website after victims and their lawyers warned that sensitive personal information had been exposed.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 4rd of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Tuesday (February 3) one day after the U.S. and India signed a trade deal.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday and discussed the situation in Ukraine, including the overnight Russian attacks on the country, the UK government said.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday (3 February) signed a spending deal into law that ends a partial U.S. government shutdown and gives lawmakers time to negotiate potential limits on his immigration crackdown.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment