The U.S. State Department has announced it will halt the processing of immigrant visas for citizens from 75 nations, citing concerns that their nationals might require public assistance upon entering the United States.
This directive, issued on Wednesday, instructs consular officials to pause applications in line with a broader order from November, which tightened regulations concerning potential immigrants deemed likely to become "public charges" in the US.
The suspension specifically targets immigrant visas and will not affect those seeking non-immigrant, temporary tourist, or business visas.
In a statement, the department said: "The Trump administration is bringing an end to the abuse of America’s immigration system by those who would extract wealth from the American people."
It added 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."
While the statement did not specify all of the countries that will affected by this pause, the administration has previously imposed severe restrictions on both immigrant and non-immigrant visa processing for citizens of numerous nations, many of which are located in Africa.
The suspension will begin on Jan. 21.
The memo directs U.S. embassies to refuse visas under existing law while the department reassesses its procedures. No time frame was provided.
The countries affected by the suspension announced on Wednesday are:
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.
