&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'We are in touch. Hope it resumes soon': Pakistan reacts after US State Department freezes visa processing from 75 countries")
The United States on Wednesday (January 14) temporarily paused immigrant visa processing for Pakistan, Bangladesh, and more than 70 other countries, prompting Islamabad to express hope that the suspension will be lifted soon. Pakistani officials described the move as part of a broader internal review of US immigration policies. Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said authorities were in contact with their US counterparts to gather more information, calling the situation fluid and still developing.
He added that Pakistan views the decision as a procedural review and expects normal visa operations to restart in due course. The visa pause forms part of US President Donald Trump’s renewed push to tighten immigration rules. The Trump administration said the suspension targets countries whose immigrants are believed to rely heavily on public welfare systems in the United States.
According to an official statement shared on X, immigrant visa processing has been stopped for 75 countries, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Russia, Nepal, Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Sudan, Thailand, and Yemen. The administration said the freeze would stay in place until it can ensure new immigrants do not place a financial burden on American taxpayers, reiterating its “America First” stance.
The US State Department clarified that the suspension will take effect on January 21 and applies only to immigrant visas. Applications for non-immigrant categories such as tourist and business visas will not be affected. Officials said the measure would impact dozens of countries whose immigrants have historically become public charges after arriving in the US.
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Here is the complete list of countries:
The full list of countries comprises of Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, 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, 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.
